Junior doctors could earn more as baristas, latest BMA ad campaign claims

The British Medical Association (BMA) and junior doctors alike have launched an advertising campaign ahead of a strike over pay, highlighting that some NHS staff could earn more money working as a barista in Pret a Manger.

Members of the BMA in England have launched a three-day strike from today (13 March) to 15 March in a bid to achieve full pay restoration.

“Pret a Manger has announced it will pay up to £14.10 per hour. A junior doctor makes just £14.09,” the BMA said, unveiling its campaign on Sunday (12 March).

“Thanks to this government you can make more serving coffee than saving patients. This week junior doctors will take strike action so they are paid what they are worth.”

Junior doctors in England have suffered a 26% real-terms cut to their pay since 2008-09, according to the union.

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Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairmen of the BMA junior doctors committee, told The Independent: “Is £14.09 an hour really all junior doctors are worth? These are people who can be providing life-saving care, having trained intensively at medical school, and racking up around £100,000 worth of debt in the process.

“We are fully supportive of any worker getting an inflation-matching pay rise, and it is worth thinking on the fact that the government has cut junior doctors’ pay by so much that they could earn more serving coffee.”

First year junior doctor, Dr Becky Bates, who is can be responsible for up to 400 patients a night, said: “With tuition fee loans, credit cards and personal loans, I’ve left medical school with over £100,000 debt, and now my wages are not even enough to allow me to fix my car when something goes wrong.

“I come from a single-parent family. I don’t come from money, yet at 28 I am relying on my mother taking out credit card debt so I can meet these expenses. It’s humiliating for me and it’s not fair on her.

“Looking ahead, I have to move to a different hospital in a different city as part of my training but have no idea how I’ll fund this if I need to move house. I can’t even afford to pay for the exams I need to progress in my career.”