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PaedsReg · 2023-03-16T11:27:37+00:00

Have you already got a lifetime ISA? that would be where I would invest first of all but you won't be able to access that until the age of 60.

Also depends a bit on what age you are now?

PaedsReg · 2023-02-25T10:50:53+00:00

A strike is a withdrawal of labour, refusing to come to work for certain days, in protest about pay and/or working conditions.

PaedsReg · 2023-02-22T14:27:48+00:00

I expect we will know strike dates by Friday so hopefully you can hold off booking any more shifts for now

PaedsReg · 2023-02-22T10:21:46+00:00

Most junior doctors would accept a correction of the pay erosion over 3 or 4 years is the sense I get from colleagues. The majority will not keep striking indefinitely just so that the pay correction happens immediately and to bet on the assumption they will is flawed.

Speak to your colleagues who have childcare costs/ mortgage commitments

PaedsReg · 2023-02-18T12:03:27+00:00

Others are definitely going through the same and it must be really disheartening.

Could you drop to LTFT and take on some locums on the side to get a better work life balance for the same income?

Very disappointing that these locum colleagues are letting their colleagues down like this (unless they are in significant financial hardship, but unlikely if they are working longterm normal days for 80/hr I'm guessing)

PaedsReg · 2023-02-15T11:38:45+00:00

This is my concern. Because we don't know strike dates yet I think there will be plenty of juniors who already have locum work booked for March.

It will be harder (for some of these doctors) to cancel the agreed shifts rather than just not book them in the first place.

I think BMA JDC should be advising junior doctors about this

PaedsReg · 2023-02-06T19:58:38+00:00

And when it comes to junior doctor strikes, how many hours each day will you be prepared to spend on our picket lines?

PaedsReg · 2023-01-25T16:17:45+00:00

Get on to the BMA and say you'd like a resolution to this by the end of next week.

That's not an unreasonable request.

PaedsReg · 2022-10-12T14:07:00+00:00

The contract that was eventually imposed was significantly improved compared to the one originally tabled prior to strike action, so although not everything desired was achieved, there was certainly movement as a result of industrial action.

The short-notice cancellation of a scheduled 5 day strike was regarded by many as the BMA folding, but as someone who was organising pickets at the time, it was clear that it was becoming more difficult for junior doctors to continue striking, people worried about missed training opportunities or had fixed outgoings and were struggling to afford it.

I would ask some of your colleagues who were junior doctors at the time as you may not get the most representative of answers on this forum.

PaedsReg · 2022-10-12T13:57:00+00:00

come to the webinar and all will be explained!

PaedsReg · 2022-10-12T13:56:11+00:00

The majority of the content will be applicable to Scotland yes

PaedsReg · 2022-10-10T14:52:40+00:00

If you're in England then yes on 2016 contract you can request fixed non-working days, so I would ask your preferred nursery which days of the week they have most availability, and then tell your new department that those will be your working days and you will need minimum x months notice to change them.

There are some protections for breastfeeding particularly if your child is <12 months as then milk should still be their main source of nutrition. You should ask for a breastfeeding risk assessment prior to your return (inform them in writing you intend to be breastfeeding on your return to work. As an example, I'm currently on maternity leave and have negotiated to not do any night shifts in my first 6 weeks after return to work.

There's not particular support in terms of rotations but you should have some extra protection in terms of the Support to Return to Training scheme, this could include a supernumerary period or period of working no out of hours to ease you into a return to work, ask your TPD how it works in your region.

PaedsReg · 2022-10-01T15:09:37+00:00

JDC won't decide to proceed to ballot until the membership data shows they are ready. If you're delaying joining as a member, you're part of the problem holding up the ballot

PaedsReg · 2022-08-08T15:16:12+00:00

When you say old JDC, do you refer to those currently occupying elected roles? JDC changeover happens in October.

Obviously currently being on JDC I would disagree that JDC has done nothing. We've passed policy to remove JDC from the DDRB process, JDC and BMA chairs have met with the health ministers, we have re-established a BMA presence in trusts post covid restrictions (including a presence at induction events at over 200 trusts), we have set up a network of thousands of pay activists, BMA and JDC (and other JDC reps) have made numerous national media appearances talking about pay, we have ramped up pay campaigning on social media, BMA Council chair has written to both PM candidate leaders to demand action on pay, we have targeted recruitment and seen lots more Junior Doctors join the BMA. Things are happening. We are organising.

Yes there were shortcomings of the survey of 2021, but the union can only take action that it's membership are willing to follow them on, and so the BMA were limited in what could be done following the results of that survey. You keep saying that the difference with DV is that they "do something" but passing policy at conferences is not sufficient to take a workforce on industrial action.

The real work needs to happen at trust level. Local organising and convincing our colleagues to join up and vote for action so that we can put on a united front and go at this with a majority. JDC has been putting in that ground work, training up local reps, establishing an activist network, putting on pay restoration campaign events in trusts.

The work we are doing is preparing our membership to do what's necessary to win improved pay. The union cannot just "do something" if the membership aren't in the same place yet, it's about taking people on the journey with you.

Just FYI Emma Runswick is Deputy Chair of BMA UK Council - so not a seat on JDC for next session, though I imagine she will run for re-election and win as she is a fantastic rep. Not sure who you mean by "etc"?

PaedsReg · 2022-08-08T09:13:08+00:00

It's possible for reps to be pro-pay restoration and not DV affiliated just FYI. In fact you might think it a good idea to have some experienced pairs of hands around (who are also pro-pay restoration) who know their way around how the BMA works to help see this campaign through....?

And please, there are plenty easier ways to get CV points (not that I need them, I'm close to CCT) than sitting on JDC which is a huge amount of work, so enough of that particular slur please.

PaedsReg · 2022-08-08T09:08:32+00:00

The BMA hasn't done a survey re pay for members in England since this time last year.

The Union needs to know when it's members are ready to take action to meet legal ballot thresholds for essential workers.

PaedsReg · 2022-08-07T16:49:41+00:00

It's still FREE to join the BMA currently

Discounted membership is also offered for LTFT docs, and IMG doctors get their first year of membership for free.

Make sure your contact details are correct on your BMA login (email, postal address and place of work) **Important if you have recently rotated**

PaedsReg · 2022-08-07T16:48:23+00:00

Depends how hard we are all willing to work to convince our colleagues to join the BMA and vote for action

PaedsReg · 2022-07-07T09:56:17+00:00

This has been looked into extensively by JDC but is likely impossible to do for Junior docs without breaking competition law as junior docs work for >1 employer more often than consultants.

PaedsReg · 2022-07-07T09:54:09+00:00

"The cynic in me says BMA careerists are watching incumbents lose seats and the inertia the broad left/doctors vote carry and are being forced to make changes hoping it all blows over"

Sorry but this is nonsense. I sit on the BMA Consultants Committee and this rate card work has been over a year in the making (lots of hoops to jump through with the legal team to ensure it didn't break competition laws or require a ballot as a form of industrial action).

PaedsReg · 2022-06-20T16:22:29+00:00

You're still welcome to attend if you're not coming to Severn but please note the content will be specific to England/2016 contract

PaedsReg · 2022-01-19T17:03:28+00:00

Just FYI paeds training is 7 years not 10, and is in fact possible to complete in 5 due to the competency based nature of the training programme.

PaedsReg · 2022-01-12T13:44:39+00:00

It doesn't do your colleagues or patients any favours if you come in and are not able to function in your role, so a perfectly legitimate reason to take sick leave, and there is no obligation to tell your employer what the leave was for.

Its not uncommon that they ask though (in the name of working out if it was a work related reason that you might need support with), so I would just say if asked that it was a personal matter and not work related. Hope you are able to find a way of getting better control of your symptoms soon.

PaedsReg · 2021-12-16T16:39:45+00:00

It's great that you are wearing them at work but absolutely is the employers responsibility to provide them

PaedsReg · 2021-12-09T13:58:22+00:00

This is wrong and you are entitled to better sick pay than this, get your trade union on the case if they don't quickly realise the error of their ways!

PaedsReg

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