Medics are marching in Bristol in protest of government proposals

Medics are marching around Bristol this Saturday in protest of changes proposed by the government to new junior doctor contracts.

The new proposals will change the way their pay is calculated, meaning some may see their wages cut for working unsociable hours.

A fourth year medical student at Bristol told the Tab she will “100%” be attending the march on Saturday.

“It’s self explanatory why everyone is going, these changes will force doctors out of jobs due to unpleasant working conditions and we will be forced into the position to potentially move to private healthcare.

“The beauty of England is equal health treatment regardless of your pay check. It’s a shame that it’s changing.”

Dr Kiri Oates, who works in an A & E ward in Bristol, told The Tab  what effects she thinks these reforms will have. She said:”The government is trying to make this about money but it’s about patient safety. We’ll be a demoralised, underpaid workforce in charge of peoples’ lives.”

She added that everyone in the medical profession knows they’ll never have an easy ride.

“We give everything to our jobs. We know from the start that we’ll be missing family birthdays and finances will be hard but on top of that to have this cut is incredibly insulting and frightening”.

Dr Roshana Mehdian, whose been in the public eye for debating the cruel changes spoke to us about the impact this will have on medic students.

She said: “I think people will still have this notion of being a doctor as a rosy noble profession but unfortunately reality will settle in when students realise the likely 70k debt they will have after medical school.

“People will realise the truth about enormous debt, poor remuneration compared to almost every other graduate profession and the emotional toll of an understaffed and unsafe job.”

Dr Roshana Mehdian (left) on Channel 4

“Medical students now are already fearing about their future and planing for a potential escape to Australia and I don’t blame them.”

Dr Daniel Axelsson graduated from Bristol this July and is currently in his first year foundation training in County Durham. He confirmed that these changes make the prospect of leaving the UK much more tempting.

“If the contract goes through I’m not sure I’d want to be a doctor in this country anymore.

“I think the NHS is great and I’d hate to think that I was bailing on it but other Commonwealth countries like Australia and Canada pay their doctors two or three times the salary they pay doctors in the UK and the hours are a lot more sociable.”

Daniel also pointed out the importance of these changes on current medical students.

Daniel (right) at his graduation in July

“Current medical students don’t really get a say in how this will pan out. Doctors have the option to strike and take industrial action but this is potentially going to affect the fifth year medics next year and at the moment they’re completely powerless over what could happen to them.

“Would you want your family member being seen by a burnt out junior doctor at the end of a long week? It starts to get in the realms of being unsafe.

“None of us walked into this profession thinking we’re going to do this to make a killing. I just think we should get paid fairly for fair work.”