My sister and brother in law trained at vast expense to the taxpayer to become doctors. One is now doing a couple of days a week to ensure that she earns twice the national average wage and lolling around the rest of the time. The other is a full time classical singer. A great return for the taxpayer for the investment put in. Not. Most folks who train as doctors do actually stick with the profession. And why not? Trousering an average of £105,000 a year for a sub 40 hour week you get to retire on a pension of £65,000 – more than twice the national average wage. And most of that pension is paid for by the taxpayer. What a bargain (for the doctors), yet some of them want more.
And so last week the Doctors went on strike, postponing routine and non-emergency work. Little old lady in pain, 30 week pregnant lady worried about life, me with a trapped nerve in my shoulder… sod off your doctor is on the golf course because he is demanding more money. Do not worry we will deal with your pain and anxiety next week. Greedy scumbags. Despicable men and women. Striking doctors are now right up there with expense fiddling MPs on my list of folk, I believe we would all be better off without.
As it happens most Doctors did not go on strike. Good for them. 92% of Doctors turned up for work as normal. But 8% did actually go on strike. Let us get this straight. These folks are earning 4 times the national average wage. Most of their pension is funded by taxes paid by people who earn a fraction of what the Doctors earn. And the doctors want more?
The Mail on Sunday takes this further today reporting that some of the scumbags went on strike (but were still paid by the NHS for that day) and used their spare time to do even more private work on the side. I am sure that there are just a few such miscreants but the individuals concerned really are the lowest of the low.
I have always had my problems with doctors who do 3 days a week with the NHS and two privately. During the time when the mother of my daughter Olivia spent months in hospital ahead of Olivia’s troubled birth a constant frustration was the absence of our consultant. Can we have the latest test results? Can we talk about whether our baby will survive? Er… no this is one of Dr X’s days off doing private work. Yeah right, thanks.
There are always far more applicants to do medicine at University than there are places. So let market forces work. Shut down a few utterly worthless courses in Scooby Doo studies as a joint honours with Aboriginal art and run more medicine courses. Produce more doctors in seven years and pro tem give 7 year work permits to a few doctors from Greece, Spain, Ireland etc. Fire the 8% of doctors who care more about their wallets than their patients at once and cap the GP pension scheme until it is a bit less obscene. The 8% will quickly start to understand that £105,000 for a sub 40 hour week with a cushy pension is really not that bad and in due course market forces (more doctors) will put a cap on any of their colleagues tempted to show a similar lack of compassion and love of money.