Catholic medics back junior doctors' strike

Catholic medical professionals have come out in support of the junior doctors’ strike, arguing that the contract changes proposed by the Government would risk patient safety, writes Rose Gamble.

The 48-hour strike last week saw 12,711 operations cancelled; 112,856 outpatient appointments postponed; and junior doctors protesting outside 150 hospitals.

Dr Robert Hardie, former UK president of the Catholic Medical Association (CMA), described the situation as severe. “Strike action must always reflect the gravity of the situation,” he said. “Many CMA members feel this strongly, and see the new contract as being forced upon junior hospital staff, and this ultimately will jeopardise sound treatment for the patient and hence patient safety.”

But Dr Hardie acknowledged that there was an argument that, from an individual Christian perspective, a doctor acting out a high calling like medicine should be willing to put the care of the patient before all personal inconveniences, “even to the point of laying down one’s own life”.

Dr Jenny Long, who has been working for six years as a junior doctor within the London deanery, said that her Catholic faith motivated her to put in the extra hours and keep her standards high. She said that she would not have participated in the strikes if she felt doing so would put patients at risk.

“While we were striking, consultants came in and covered for us, no patients have come to harm,” she explained. She said she decided to strike to help preserve the NHS for the future and argued that the proposed “seven-day NHS” will force many doctors to leave, particularly women trying to juggle work and family.

“You have to make choices about what you want from life,” she said. “With the new contract it makes this even more difficult. It’s not about the money, but being forced to work Saturdays and weekends when you want to have a family is tough.”

Dr Hardie was concerned about the Government’s failure to elaborate on the practicalities of the seven-day NHS or to reveal the exact costs. “We can only pray that common sense, humility, co-operation and compassion will prevail,” he added.