Comment: Angry doctors are just the latest victims of globalisation

Majella Kilkey, Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at the University of Sheffield, comments on the current threat of a doctors' strike and why many young doctors are considering moving abroad. Angry doctors are just the latest victims of globalisation By Majella Kilkey, 21 October 2015, posted on The Conversation The current threat of a doctors' strike is just the latest example of the unhappiness of NHS staff. 2014 saw strikes from nurses, occupational therapists, porters, paramedics and healthcare assistants - the first in the health service since the 1980s. Staff are being asked to make huge efficiency savings after years of small or non-existent pay increases. Morale has plummeted as healthcare workers come under fire for the quality of NHS care. The latest conflict is over the planned introduction of a full seven-day service. Junior doctors are being asked to accept a cut in overtime pay in return for an increase in basic pay so that it becomes cheaper for hospitals to employ more staff on evenings and weekends.