Region's doctors join national five-day strike

Doctors on the picket line outside Leeds General Infirmary on Friday morning

Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, across Yorkshire are taking part in a national five-day strike after the government failed to agree a pay deal with their union.

Members of the British Medical Association (BMA), who work in hospitals across the region, joined others across England in the walkout, which began at 07:00 BST on Friday.

BMA leader Dr Tom Dolphin said: "We are very sorry that strikes have become necessary."

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he did not believe the BMA had "engaged with me in good faith" over bids to avert the strike.

This year resident doctors are getting an average pay rise of 5.4%, following a 22% increase over the previous two years.

But the BMA said wages were still around 20% lower in real terms than in 2008, even after an increase in August.

'My heart is always at work'

Dr Cristina Costache said doctors were "only asking for four pounds more per hour, it's not a lot"

Speaking from the picket line outside Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), Cristina Costache, who is a paediatrics registrar at LGI and a PhD student, said the walkout had been "a lot better supported than I thought it would be - it's actually really well supported".

However, Dr Costache said striking had been a "very difficult decision to make".

She said: "I get depressed if I'm not in work. My heart is always at work.

"But I also care about my colleagues and my profession, and what we're really feeling is the gaps.

"There's always a gap on the paediatric registrar rota. We end up having to cover the job of another paediatric registrar, of even two other paediatric registrars.

"We have fewer people working and lots of people leaving the profession, that's the knock-on effect on the patient eventually."

Dr Costache said she left Romania due to the poor health infrastructure and lack of investment.

She said: "It's really sad to have seen in the last nine years how the NHS is heading that way.

"Hence I'm a trade unionist because I feel like I want to tell people, please don't do what has happened there."

'A last resort'

Dr Stella Chatzieleftheriou said improved pay conditions would stop doctors leaving the country

Dr Stella Chatzieleftheriou, a UK resident doctors committee representative from Sheffield, said she was worried about the "sustainability" of the medical workforce at the current wages.

"I've seen dozens of colleagues leave the country and relocate to New Zealand and Australia and they don't have any plans to return," she said.

"The only way to retain the doctors we have already, and hopefully bring some back, is to offer a pay that is close to comparable."

Dr Chatzieleftheriou said strike action had been a "last resort".

The strike's core, she said, was a "concern for long-term patient safety if we can't keep the workforce we have and bring back doctors that we have lost over the years".

She concluded: "Ultimately you need a well-paid, motivated and happy work force.

"That, in the long term, will improve outcomes for patient care."

'Emergency departments open'

Chris Evans from the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust said those needing urgent care should still attend hospitals

In West Yorkshire, hospitals prepared for the strike by altering rotas and, in some cases, postponing operations.

Chris Evans, deputy chief executive at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS trust, which runs Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury hospitals, said: "We have only stood down a very small amount of activity, so if you haven't been contacted that planned care will continue."

He added: "Emergency departments are still open, so those that need urgent care please do attend where that's required."

'Nothing else will work'

Darren Higgins, a former firefighter, said striking doctors had been left with no choice

A number of people in Sheffield gave their opinion on the strike to the BBC.

Former firefighter Darren Higgins, 58, said striking doctors were "doing the right thing".

He said: "It's something that they've got to do to get the pay rise that they're after.

"Nothing else will work.

"Being an ex-firefighter for 30 years, I've been involved in strikes, it's the only way that the government will listen."

However, he said he thought the rise asked for was too much.

"I do think what they're asking for is a bit excessive. I think they need to go in with a lower percentage.

"I mean 22% over two years is a good raise. But for the job that they do I think it is a fair percentage."

'Patient safety at risk'

Psychology student Freya Wallace says doctors "work really hard and they do deserve a pay raise"

Psychology student Freya Wallace, 20, said she agreed doctors deserved to be paid more.

She said: "I think it's fair that they should get more pay. If that's what they've got to do to get the money that they deserve, then I think that's fair enough."

She said: "If it was any other profession, people would have no problem with it."

However, she said the strike would "absolutely put patient safety at risk".

"But I think people get better treatment when doctors are less overworked and better paid," she said.

"So I think in the long term it would really benefit patients."

'It's totally wrong'

Jan Palmer said she felt sorry for the doctors "but there's only so much we've got in the pot"

Jan Palmer, 62, from Wakefield, said she had recently been diagnosed with cancer and worried the strike would affect the speed of her treatment.

She described the strike as "totally wrong".

"I've just had a conversation with a person who's had a serious motorbike accident," she said.

"He should have been seen tomorrow and his next appointment now is September.

"I just don't understand how they can leave people like that."

She added: "I've just found out I have breast cancer, I've been seen within four weeks.

"I've got to have surgery. I'm only hoping now that this won't affect my surgery.

"And I do feel sorry for them, the nurses as well, but there's only so much we've got in the pot."

Streeting said the NHS would face a challenging few days during the doctors' strike as it strived to keep as many services as possible running.

Speaking after the walkout began he said it was not possible to eliminate disruption, but it was "being kept to a minimum".

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