NHS strikes a ‘real insult’ to patients and taxpayers, says former health minister
Former Health Minister Maria Caulfield has said the decision by NHS consultants to strike for more pay and shorter hours is ‘a real smack in the face’ for ordinary Brits.
Speaking on GB News, she said: “It’s not surprising because we warned Labour when they caved in to the junior doctors with their 22% pay rise with no conditions attached that this would be the start and open up the floodgates for others to restart strike action, and the consultants are one of those groups.
“And I think for ordinary, working, alarm clock Brits who get up early and work long hours and have the highest rates of tax in a generation, this is a real smack in the face, really, because the NHS is hardly performing at its best.
“You know, we’ve got long waiting times in A&E, people can’t get to see their GP. Our outcomes in terms of cancer services, maternity services, are not where they should be. So should these consultants be getting even more pay for fewer hours? It feels like a real insult to patients and to taxpayers.
“I think when there was strike action before it, and in previous strikes, there were reports that actually there was an increase in their private practice to compensate for some of the strike action. And yes, some consultants can earn over £200,000 a year just for their private practice.
“In addition to that, they get a huge pension packet. You know, almost a million pounds each pension packet. This is very, very unfair on ordinary taxpayers who are really struggling right now. It’s really unfair on patients.
“And as you say, we’re coming into the winter season where we do see greater pressure on beds and on services because people do pick up coughs and colds and respiratory illnesses, and elderly and unwell patients are at more risk of being admitted to hospital.
“It’s a deeply, for me, irresponsible thing to do. When these are intelligent people, they can see the state of the health service. They can see the state of the country’s finances. We’re broke.
“As Robert Jenrick set out today, the country is broke. We’ve got £3 trillion of debt: where are we supposed to find this money to pay for this?
“So I think it’s deeply irresponsible from a clinical point of view, but also from an ethical point of view for the rest of the country.
“People who are self-employed, people who run their own businesses, people who are earning drastically less than them often have to take time off work to go to hospital or have their appointments cancelled, operations cancelled and that’s deeply irresponsible to the real mission that doctors, nurses, and all healthcare professionals usually have.
“And I would say to consultants, you know, you know, £16,000 pay rise and a reduction in working hours. I think in this day and age, that’s not a reasonable request.”
