How do the UK nurses feel about the (possible) junior doctors contract?

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I'm still trying to get my head around all the information, but my med student friend has educated that it is essentially no additional payments for working unsocial shifts (nurses receive a higher rate for working unsocial hours - weekends/nights), and they have increased the number of hours they have to technically work in a week (still unsure on this one). I sympathise greatly with the juniors. Most junior doctors I've met are lovely and it's unfair to work them like dogs, but from my understanding this is only prevalent in the first year. Their wage goes up by a few grand when they're in second year.

I think the bit that annoys me is that the juniors have raised quite a great deal of momentum to prevent this. Their union is more involved, the public is behind them, even nurses and other MDTs are here for them and rightly so. But when nurses were striking for just 1% higher pay RCN were totally useless, huge members of the public were calling nurses lazy and uncaring and I don't remember any doctors or physio's etc fighting for the nurses. Next year will most likely see the departure of many non - EU nurses and possible unsocial hours cut to fund 7 - day services. If the nurses do strike again I hope there is more support for us.

Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

The junior doctors are getting a very poor deal, a F2 / CT 1 starting salary is £30,000 which can increase at the moment depending on their rota to £39k. For the responsibility they carry, and hours they work it's really poor. The doctors I work with can put in 50 plus hours a week, if you break this down to hourly rate then you realise just how poor their pay is.

It's good they have an active Union, I wish nursing unions had more teeth to fight for us. We don't put our case forward very well, and it wasn't just nurses who have been hit by pay freeze and terms and conditions but anyone who fits into agenda for change, this includes physio, OT, SALT anyone really who isn't a doctor.

The doctors are heard because they have a strong collective voice, unfortunately we don't

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