Introducing a ban on striking would be a very authoritarian move and would further alienate the clinical staff the government is supposed to be motivating and engaging with. Finally, when people compare their own hours or pay with those in the NHS, they’re often not comparing like with like. Paramedics, nurses, and doctors have spent years studying, have professional registration, and in the case of doctors face many more years of postgraduate training and exams. Ultimately, there’s no stampede of people from the private or self-employed sectors towards these key clinical roles. Brexit and new immigration rules have further harmed recruitment.1718 And ranting soundbites, amplified by right wing sections of the media or MPs, will solve nothing.

Source: The Guardian January 05, 2023 00:30 UTC