"A lot of doctors are moving to Australia, not just because of the pay but also the work-life balance is better," said one doctor, Georgia Blackwell, 28. "Other countries understand that doctors aren't being paid adequately and they're offering much better packages," added Shivani Ganesh, a 23-year-old medical student.UK Health Secretary Victoria Atkins warned that the latest strikes will have a "serious impact" on patients across the country.More than 1.2 million appointments have been rescheduled since the start of the strikes, including more than 88,000 last month, she added. "Strike action is the only thing this government will sit down and listen to," he told AFP, warning of more strikes to come without a "credible" pay offer.The NHS itself said the latest stoppage, which could see up to half of the medical workforce on picket lines, would have "a significant impact on almost all routine care". "The vast majority of planned operations, appointments, and so on, will have to be stood down," he told BBC television.Consultants will cover for junior doctors and emergency and urgent care such as maternity and intensive care services will be operating.But there are fears that Covid, flu and other seasonal conditions could also hit staffing. "We're deeply concerned about the kind of impact over the coming days," said Hartley.

Source: The Times January 03, 2024 16:24 UTC