Not exactly a ‘funny’ this week, more a point of interest.
I see that trainee doctors in Israel have won bonuses, higher pay, a commitment to only six late night and weekend shifts a month, and a contract review in 2015.
What did it take? Demonstrations, walk outs and mass resignations over a 160-day period. Israeli Medical Association chief Dr Leonid Eidelman even staged a 10-day hunger strike to pressure the government.
So are doctors in the UK going to be able to resist the NHS pension proposals, for example, with a disgruntled moan to their local BMA rep and a letter to their local MP.
Err, no.
However, even with the successful campaign of mass professional action in Israel there has been a price to pay. From now on, hospital doctors are going to have to clock in and out to show they are doing the hours they say.
Now don’t go giving the Department of Health any ideas…
Tags: Industrial action
