UK Doctors Prepared to Strike over Pensions

19 January 2012 (PLANSPONSOREurope.com) - Two in three UK doctors and medical students are prepared to take industrial action in a row over pensions, according to a survey from the British Medical Association (BMA).

The survey reveals eight out of 10 association members reject proposed changes to the NHS pension scheme and almost two thirds were personally willing to take industrial action against them.

BMA Council chairman Hamish Meldrum said: “The strength and scale of feeling among doctors are abundantly clear. They feel let down and betrayed, and for many this is the final straw.

“Doctors are at the forefront of attempts to save the NHS £20 billion while trying to protect patient care, are in the midst of huge system reform in England, which is causing chaos in many areas, and are about to enter a fourth successive year of a pay freeze.

“Now on top of this, they are facing wholesale changes to their pension scheme, which was radically overhauled less than four years ago and is actually delivering a positive cash flow to the Treasury.”
 

PLANSPONSOREurope Staff
editors@plansponsoreurope.com