Cardiac surgeon automatically blamed and referred to GMC after mortality review at George’s Hospital in London was done. They have now issued a public apology after there was no evidence whatsoever of misconduct and the GMC closed the investigation.
It’s not even surprising
Flat hierarchy is one thing but this is silly. We are in a seriously broken system if an ST8 neuro oncology neurosurgery fellow literally resecting brain tumours with 10 years medical experience and 5-6y med school is worth £33-50k. Meanwhile the assistant’s ad is for £50k.
@PolitlcsUK
@thetimes
Therefore proving the point we have been making that they weren’t independent at all! Thanks rishi. We all knew that the ultimate decision maker was yourself
@gmcuk
The role of the GMC to determine whether her fitness to practice is impaired - even if said protest was illegal via court order, how does this impair her ability as a GP to diagnose and treat patients? Meanwhile certain antivax doctors causing proven harm through spread of
All that docs are asking for is an uplift for a new doc to £20/h. £20/h to be the first one to see your loved one out of hours. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who says this is unfair or unaffordable. The government’s current offer isn’t close to the 31.7% pay cut. Is
For the public: a low blood pressure and slow heart rate can be dangerous. It indicates usually a heart or circulation issue. The PAs here are breaching information governance rules by posting patient identifiable details on social media whilst others are advising them to do a
Attempted to hide identities as much as pos. Sent this and found it too damning not to share.
PT presents around 3pm. A doctor doesn’t appear to be contacted for support or help, and instead a Facebook group of PAs (PAAUK) consulted instead. PT in HB sent to a&e not until 6pm.
BBC implicitly accusing
@BMA_JuniorDocs
of obfuscating facts. An FY1 according to their own article is paid £14/h for base hours between 9-5 as seen on paycheck. Yes there is “extra banding” for weekends, evenings and nights but this is highly variable and not all doctors have
🚨🚨*Consultants consultatory ballot - a HUGE turnout and a HUGE yes*
The BMA has announced that the consultative ballot for NHS consultants has been an overwhelming success, with *86%* voting in favour of industrial action and with a turnout of *>60%*.
Training is seriously broken as doctors spend a majority of their training time doing bloods, cannulas, discharge summaries, portering patients, and chasing scans instead of seeing cases and doing procedures they need to do for their future consultant career. In essence, propping
@SteveBarclay
Providing sub inflationary pay offers ans then imposing without discussion isn’t in the “door’s always open” spirit. Strikes are likely to continue
@LBC
@SangitaMyska
@SangitaMyska
the number of times as a child I had my name changed or the worst was a grunt, look and “you know who you are”. Well done on calling this out
(edited) BMA Rep politely mentions on locum whatsapp that strike day locums are undermining strikes. BMA Rep is removed and then docs who question it are censored. Not a good look!
@Doctors_Vote
@Xeon4f145d96s1
@LouiseAllard18
Free accommodation, free food in some places and no student debt with house prices multiples lower with a similar salary. Medicine was also infinitely less complex with less CTs/MRI/interventional procedures/multimorbidity/biologic treatments as told by consultants close to
Dr Anna Warrington is on fire. Excellent response to biased questioning here. 🔥🔥🔥Private contractors like Lawyers get paid £150/h+ minimum and consultants are experts with 20 years experience and 3+ degrees. Why is there a double standard when it comes to doctors?
The media rhetoric around
#ConsultantsStrike
is incorrect. They have had a significant pay cut, many don’t do private work, it takes them 19 years to reach a salary of £126k and we don’t factor in all the free work, life and death decision pressure, debts and higher level degrees
1. Tomorrow i will be supporting the NHS
#ConsultantsStrike
About Me:
➡️ I am a cardiology consultant / professor
@UHNM_NHS
➡️ i was from a working class background, i went to a state comprehensive. My dad left school at 16, mum at 12. I am the first / only member of my family
UK training programmes following the US trend of highlighting their new national training number trainees! Usually US residencies list headshots and tag people and there seems to be a fanfare. A trend for UK to follow?
The pro government media arguments are quite perplexing. Apparently conservatism is all about meritocracy and earning more skills (see bankers bonus caps lifted) but suddenly when it comes to highly trained life saving doctors, the moral arguments about “deserve” pop out.
Not sure why this is an attack line. So he can’t spend a few hours at a wedding whilst the other side didn’t produce an offer? This is verging on bullying now and further confirms impartiality
@Telegraph
@BMA_JuniorDocs
#JuniorDoctorsStrike
🔴BMA co-chairman Dr Rob Laurenson criticised for ‘swanning off’ to attend wedding amid ministers’ attempts to negotiate with members
🔓 This front page story is currently free to read 👇
@KateAndrs
This is really awful journalism given that the whole dispute is openly about pay and pay restoration and not “saving the NHS”. Not the “gotcha” moment she thinks it is
🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
BMA announcement
The JDC will be calling a 96 hour strike applying to shifts starting between 06.59 on Tuesday 11th April and 06.59 on Saturday 15th April.
*This is an escalation to convey how serious we are about full pay restoration. Anything less is a pay cut.*
@ShaunLintern
@ukneurosurgeon
Hi Shaun, the doctors in UK training programmes spend many hours a week repairing computers, portering patients, chasing appointments/scans amongst many other things. When raised, we get criticised for classism and arrogance. It’s not that anyone is above these tasks but that it
@alexharmstrong
Except that he HAD to defend them in his public role as defence counsel. It’s part of the system otherwise few would choose to defend these cases
Patient safety is out the window here. There needs to be a protocol that mandates a trust to be responsible for minimum staffing. Too often there isn’t even an effort to find a locum/fill a gap.
"Just 3 juniors were covering 500 patients," London junior doc
@abrams113
told
@WHO_Europe
at the workforce conference.
"A patient told me I was a bad doctor & should be ashamed of my work...I left crying and sat in a broom cupboard."
@bmj_latest
Solidarity for nurses from doctors and other healthcare staff in the shared pursuit of
#PayRestoration
#FairPayforNursing
. Nurses indeed deserve better!
Jeez. As thousands of nurses are forced to take strike action for the fair pay we all know they deserve this is the absolute babbling boll**** offered up by the Government!
Watch in disbelief & support our nurses
#FairPayforNursing
@LBC
@JamesCleverly
Correction: *the way the agreement was thought about and implemented by the previous government was disgusting*. Shipping asylum seekers and immigrants off to another country has no precedent in many other compassionate developed countries
This disgraceful
@BBCBreakfast
interview of Health Secretary
@SteveBarclay
was the absolute worse I’ve seen so far on the Junior doctors strike
No mention his offer is another crappy real terms pay cut & no mention Government plans to impose it on them
Viewers deserve better!
North West Foundation School are allowing PAs through Foundation Programme. This doesn’t quite make sense as:
1) Foundation doctors need to prescribe and request radiology as part of their job. So who picks up these extra tasks?
2) F1/F2 doctor jobs do need skills specifically
Doctors need tools for the job. Not a broken ward computer shared between 10 docs and nurses and a 1970s era bleep. A work laptop and a work phone are standard in many other UK industries without similar out of hours needs or pressures!
🇺🇸 Doctors ‘welcome gift’ = iPhone and MacBook Pro
🇬🇧 Your not worth >£14/Hr, good luck finding a working ward laptop and here is a bleep straight out of the 60s.
@Doctors_Vote
@BMA_JuniorDocs
@TheBMA
If a doctor engaged in this sort of (alleged) dishonest behaviour, I’m sure the trust would have no hesitation in referring to GMC. What sort of processes exist for the reverse? They must be implemented if true
“Work autonomously without GP intervention” Surely this cannot be safe? Most ACPs I have seen work with consultant supervision or GP supervision. Is a masters alone good enough?
The government is set to accept a DDRB payment of 6% + one off of £1k. This is still less than inflation this year for many of us and does nothing to address the real terms pay cut now up to 31.7%. It will not work as it does not address
#PayRestoration
. Tell them again in July!
Junior doctors in England are set to get an extra salary bump of around £1,000 as government ministers aim to end long-running strike action, The Telegraph can reveal
Time for a fact check. We were cited in medical school a figure of £30k/yr to train a doctor which, if correct, is £150k-180k - a far cry from £500k. Tying an already demoralised workforce to the NHS without addressing the push factors will simply lead to less students applying
My
@DailyMailUK
column today. We tax payers pay half a million £ to train a doctor and when they are qualified, almost half of them from some medical schools head to Australia or NZ. Time to impose pay back!
The National Audit Office has estimated that governmental fraud (their words) was £33-59bn out of £1.1 trillion expenditure in 2020-2021. £1bn/35% for pay restoration doesn't sound so unaffordable ?
#JuniorDoctorsStrikes
#PayRestoration
@Doctors_Vote
Link:
@dr_merritt
Trainee: “I have concerns”.
Consultant: “ No you don’t. But I have concerns about you, the trainee who complained” followed by likely reprimand.
Trainee with anonymous account: “I have concerns”
Consultant: “Sorry I don’t engage with anonymous accounts. Share your name”
Shows
The apprenticeship alternative scheme to medical degrees has led to advertising from private companies (see TikTok below). Huge concerns with this as:
1) Will it be accredited by all universities and have same prestige as a regular degree? What if someone wants to use their
@drmattuk
So sorry this happened to you! Similar cases with consultants being demanded £3000 going back ten years without clear evidence. The response informally was “after all the extra free hours I did, this is how they treat you”. Undervalued is not even the word
#payrestoration
The anti doctor articles begin…what the Gary Lineker saga has taught us is that there is certainly partiality in this organisation’s reporting. Every article with a slant and not a balance with selective fact presentation
More than the Mac she actually has a space to work with a desk, modern functional computer, and an office. How many junior docs sit on bins using non functional computers and have no office space? Need the tools to do the job and this shows it
This is a dangerous precedent. Contemporaneous documentation is overridden by patient’s recollection which could be faulty. And once more the doctor on the receiving end is BAME and an IMG.
@BAPIOUK
Patient accuses doctor of documenting a physical exam that never happened. Doctor maintains innocence - has documented the exam.
@gmcuk
finds doctors FtP impaired because the patient could recall the situation better than the doctor, who had to rely on notes.
@BAPIOUK
Dropping ALS for foundation docs is probably unsafe. They’re often the first to an arrest and good knowledge and skill of the ALS algorithm is essential. It’s arrogant to assume only SHOs/registrars are competent and indeed if we pay for and train non medics in ALS, why not
Advanced life support training is declining for medical students and junior doctors—this risks leaving them unprepared for medical emergencies, say Umika Moorjani and colleagues
ABSOLUTE DISGRACE todays politics shows failed to point out to viewers Rishi Sunak plans to IMPOSE a crappy real terms pay cut on
@BMA_JuniorDocs
& strip them of their democratic right to strike if they refuse to submit - it’s BULLYING & INTIMIDATION & ABSOLUTE BOLL**** TO THAT!
The usual criticism will of course talk about elitism and how “docs shouldn’t think they’re above a task”. This is not being above a task but learning and doing the tasks you need to be doing based on your education and expertise. It is about role delegating and efficiency.
Former BBC tech correspondent Rory Cellan Jones’ (
@ruskin147
) NHS experience makes for sorry reading and it is sad he had to go through this. This is the reality of so many non-media related patients every day due to the NHS mismanagement that doctors have been pointing out for
1/4🧵A doctor is dumped on for too many routine tasks. It’s simply peak inefficiency that a registrar does all bloods as “nobody is trained” or “phlebotomist only does X per ward”. Then of course the label printers/computers don’t work. More bleeding=less time to manage patients
*April Strike Clarifications, a thread*: 1/
The media has begun its campaign of falsehoods and exaggerations designed to break our resolve and weaken our mandate for IA for fair pay.
*This message set is intended to remind us of why we’re striking, why we need to act together
So proud of the Oxford picket turnout and spirit! Good luck to the
@TheBMA
and
@Doctors_Vote
docs at Whitehall this PM. Hopefully this leads to discussions and
#PayRestoration
Lord Bethell cites the entire profession of doctors as bullies of PAs and accuses them of “shopfloor protectionism” whilst disavowing the notion of top doctors and cites Mid Staffs and other failures. No doubt bullies of any profession exist and must be addressed and every
📣*Derogations During Strikes*📣
Several trusts up and down the country have been planning derogations during this round of action (asking the BMA to send members back to work).
The derogations process involves the BMA meeting with NHS England 4x a day to make sure strikes are
@jessdoe2000
When other countries pay it, it seems an accurate assessment of worth given that docs leave the UK to achieve said pay. Note that
@ClaaareKirwan
hasn’t mentioned another HCP as a comparison but you have. 5-6y of medical education, ability to prescribe/request imaging, often
@Xeon4f145d96s1
Seems quite unfair that they’re almost always in theatre and barely on the wards whilst SHOs are stuck on wards. Seems like the SHOs training requirements are being deprioritised
“A PA would not be on the rotation for 3 years” states the hospital in justification to PAs giving specialist paeds liver advice to other hospitals. This is 2y masters and 3y of clinical experience with no postgraduate exams.
By comparison a paediatric registrar wouldn’t be
ONE OF THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS LIES THIS GOVERNMENT HAS TOLD to justify stripping NHS doctors of their right to strike, forcing them to work against their will & allowing them to be SACKED if they refuse!
Every UK news show needs to call this boll**** out!
@BBCNews
@SkyNews
Regarding anonymous accounts like
@Xeon4f145d96s1
@Dr_Done_
@ExplosiveEnema2
on
#MedTwitter
- they have primarily been used in the sphere of whistleblowing, raising concerns and advocating for doctors and patients. Do we agree with everything they say or the wording? Absolutely
@SteveBarclay
@theRCN
A more realistic alternative would be to offer negotiations and a fair pay settlement. Unfair to clap them in the pandemic then rubbish their contributions and sue them for striking right after! Value our nurses and their contributions
@TheBMA
@ollieburtonmed
Disappointing that it came to this but shows that
@TheBMA
is willing to change to maintain safety. Shame the same principles weren’t applied during the winter crisis
@SteveBarclay
@theRCN
Shortening the strike by a day will likely encourage a stronger nursing ballot and further strikes. The only end to action is honest and open negotiations which we hope happen but seems out of reach for both nurses and doctors
Courtesy of MedReddit, new medical apprentices will be doing work as ward clerks/coders etc instead of studying full time to purportedly improve access to medical school for lower income families. It creates a two tiered system as the apprentice has much less time to study. Why
A rather unfair and untrue characterisation. He never met for 6m, rescheduled lots, then finally turned up and asked
@RobLaurensonD4P
@_VivekTrivedi
to “reflect”, refused for them to discuss offers w members and ironically set the preconditions he accuses
@BMA_JuniorDocs
of.
We remain determined to find a settlement with the BMA junior doctors committee — like we’ve done with other unions.
To prevent further strikes.
To recognise junior doctors’ work in the NHS.
This is our position 👇
Context is everything. Older generation did have longer hours but less complex patients, less expectations, free education/free accommodation. Comparison with 40 years ago is not worth the time for
#PayRestoration
@rcsloggett
Well they seek to shift the blame of systematic failures onto staff (see campaign by right wing media against GPs accusing them of being lazy) and are trying to say strikes and harm are all because of the staff accused of being “greedy”. I hope the public see through this
@DrPJJB
Paid 30% less vs 2008 with several hundred % rise in house prices, significantly more loans, no free accomm/free food, infinitely more complex medicine with more interventions, training bottlenecks, PA replacement and much more. The future cake argument doesn’t hold either with
@aliciakearns
Preceded by one of the biggest pay cuts of any industry including public sector. If you lost £10 then got offered £1 back, would you accept it?
The only fair thing would be if consultants, registrars, nurses, physios, OTs, managers and CEO had the same form. But they don’t as it’s infantilising but we accept this for doctors. Similarly can I give feedback like this for late/cancelled teaching, inability to attend,
@Doctors_Vote
@ELHT_CEO
Hi, we're aware of the form and looking to assess its content. Professional standards are important to us and expected from all our colleagues. We’re committed to continuing the work with our doctors, to ensure those levels are met.
@drcolinm
The GMC acts in the interest of patient safety. Could an argument not be made for protecting the consultant title given that when a patient hears “consultant”, that implies someone who is post CCT? I haven’t ever heard a patient accurately distinguish the difference between non
Probably the best summary of the PA issue that’s out there! Patients and healthcare professionals alike should read
@doctor_oxford
’s article about how physician associates are being misrepresented as doctors and are literally replacing them on rotas whilst patients believe they
Oxford
#PayRestoration
demonstration at Bonn Square! Junior doctors and non doctors showing their support for the pay restoration campaign from
@BMA_JuniorDocs
. Thank you to
@HCSANews
for the support!
@DrEilidhMaria
Exactly! A professor used to say to us, 50% of doctors graduate in the bottom half of their class. People mature at different rates and lots of excellent doctors weren’t at their best around exam time. Mervyn Singer famously told us that he “scraped through” some exams
@Xeon4f145d96s1
@gmcuk
@BAPIOUK
@parthaskar
Another ethnic minority doctor and another dangerous precedent where logic is out the window. Is the situation surprising anymore? And of course the doctor is an IMG
With another round of
#JuniorDoctorsStrike
the media keeps blaming doctors yet the amount spent >£1bn to cover strikes could have actually achieved pay restoration already. Shows that they would rather waste the money than focus on doctor retention
@BMA_JuniorDocs
IMGs, please don’t let such emails intimidate you. This is bullying, plain and simple. IMGs do have a right to strike if they choose to and HEE even sent out an email confirming this. See BMA IMG Strike guidance:
I came across this. It is entirely untrue. Junior doctors who are IMGs are not at risk. JDC will not run strike action that puts IMGs at risk of visa issues. Actual advice here Please retweet to correct this outrageous nonsense.
🚨🚨Scottish docs being offered 14.5% over 2 years which is still less than their 23.5% pay erosion since 2008. A far from ideal offer and inflation in the next two years is likely to worsen the cut!
JUNIOR DOCTOR PAY UPDATE:
We can today confirm a pay offer from the Scottish Government will be put to members in a consultative vote.
Read the full details in
@ChrisSmith2211
's message to members - and more details in the thread below.
1/7
As a junior med reg, I am seeing a smaller and less varied proportion of cases and learning less procedures compared to what my current consultants saw as SHOs. Part of that is patient safety but because I still spend a lot of my time doing jobs. Are jobs important - yes. Would
One sided article from
@BBCNews
. Extra contractual work should be paid and this should be market rates. You would pay market rates for other goods/services but not for life saving consultants.
@ashwinravi99
It’s a balance. These traits are what have created success but can also be pointed out as a weakness. Similarly Dhoni is calm under pressure but some people then criticise that he is not aggressive enough. You are who you are