PRESS RELEASE: Remedy Scotland announces doctors’ protest march in Glasgow, 14th July 2007
For immediate release 04/07/2007
FAO News Desk
On Saturday July 14th 2007 Remedy Scotland will be leading doctors in Scotland in a protest march through the centre of Glasgow.
This protest will raise awareness of forced medical unemployment, the “dumbing down” of medical training, and the expected severe disruption to the National Health Service in Scotland.
The Scottish Executive have shown a willingness to listen to and act in support of junior doctors, but there are still many grave problems that need to be addressed. Remedy intends to push this issue further into public view since it affects the health of every man, woman and child in Scotland.
British doctors feel betrayed by a bureaucratic government that has refused to listen, that ploughs ahead with ill-thought-out changes and that treats its professional employees with disdain. The new SNP-led executive has a chance now to show that it can do things differently.
The Scottish Patients Association and the Scottish Health Campaigns Network will support this protest.
ENDS
Notes for editors:
Remedy Scotland is the local branch of RemedyUK, a grassroots doctors’ pressure group with 14,000 members campaigning against botched medical training reforms.
Further details: www.remedy-scotland.org.uk and www.remedyuk.net/scotland
Over 10,000 junior doctors face career termination over the next few months as the new training system, Modernising Medical Careers will exclude them from further training in the UK.
Remedy Scotland Press Contact:
Dr Kevin Cormack 07753 727 725
Email Kevin.cormack@nhs.net
Additional information: themes and demands of protest:
THEMES
- Doctors still face unemployment after 31st October. This waste of medical resources may seriously impact on patient safety by disruption of continuity of care.
- Remedy Scotland support a modern, full-time, properly staffed NHS. This will reduce waiting times, prevent cancelled operations and improve patient choice. To achieve this we need more training posts and more consultant jobs for the trained doctors to fill.
- Experience, qualifications and research are essential attributes of the modern doctor. Experienced doctors have been disadvantaged by this application process and will be lost to the NHS.
- Doctors have been expected to accept posts with little or NO employment information e.g. salary or even region or city of work. In comparison with other professions this is unfair.
- Morale is at an extreme low within the profession. (20% of junior doctors have reported experiencing suicidal thoughts according to a new study in the BMJ.) Again, this is a danger to patient care.
DEMANDS
- Increase in the number of run-through training posts with expansion at ST2 and ST3 levels.
- Increase in the number of consultant posts.
- Cap the intake of medical students to assist with improved medical work force planning.
- A return to four separate deaneries in Scotland.
- FTSTA candidates are actively supported into run-through training posts.
- Give experience and qualifications/research proper consideration when allocating jobs
- Give back to doctors control of their own lives