Junior doctors hold a picket outside University College Hospital in London, as they hold their first joint strike with consultants over fair pay. The strike is set to be the biggest walkout in NHS history. The health service is having to pay millions of pounds to fill positions left by those taking industrial action, with significant disruption expected. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00 I'm a junior doctor working in obstetrics and gynaecology.
00:03 It's an absolute privilege to do the job that I do,
00:06 but it's also a very tough job.
00:07 And I think we're just here to ask for fair pay,
00:12 for full pay restoration to reflect the skills
00:15 and the challenges that we face in our jobs as doctors.
00:17 Clearly it's not a decision that any doctor will take lightly
00:21 and absolutely on my mind today,
00:23 those patients who've had their clinics
00:26 or their operations cancelled.
00:28 But my hope is that through taking this action,
00:31 we're going to be protecting the NHS.
00:33 And my mind isn't just on the patients
00:36 who are affected this week,
00:37 but the patients who I'm hoping to look after
00:40 in the following kind of weeks and months
00:42 and years of my career.
00:43 What do we want?
00:44 Fair pay!
00:45 When do we want it?
00:46 Now!
00:47 What do we want?
00:48 Fair pay!
00:49 When do we want it?
00:49 Now!
00:50 What do we want?
00:51 Fair pay!
00:52 When do we want it?
00:53 Now!
00:54 What do we want?
00:55 Fair pay!
00:56 When do we want it?
00:57 Now!
00:58 What do we want?
00:59 Fair pay!
01:00 When do we want it?
01:01 Now!
01:02 I'm confident in what's going on in that hospital
01:04 because I know that this is a Christmas Day cover,
01:06 so I know some of my colleagues are working today,
01:09 they're on calls,
01:10 and they've got extra support from other consultants.
01:13 We would not put patients at an excess degree of risk.
01:18 And that evaluation has been made already.
01:21 And we are professional risk evaluators,
01:23 so I'm confident that the patients are safe.
01:29 Obviously, the impact is on waiting lists
01:31 and elective procedures and appointments,
01:34 and so that will increase in the short term.
01:37 But I think if we don't stand up now and take action,
01:42 those lists will increase over time anyway.
01:46 So we're trying to do something that will safeguard them
01:49 in the future and reduce that going forward.