How the Tories are wrecking the UK.

Junior doctors are marching in London in protest at the government's planned changes to their contracts in England. Their union, the British Medical Association, says the plans will lead to a drop in junior doctors' salaries.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has accused the BMA of misleading doctors and says the proposals would reduce their maximum weekly working hours.

The BMA rejected Mr Hunt's claim and said the rally in Westminster was a "wake-up call for ministers".
Thousands of junior doctors are also rallying in Belfast and Nottingham.

Critics say the new contract involves pay cuts of up to 30%, with "normal hours" extended to include 07:00 to 22:00 every day except Sunday.

However Mr Hunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the proposals would benefit doctors by reducing their maximum weekly working hours.

'Good deal'

Mr Hunt said he wanted to remove financial penalties "that force hospitals to roster less at weekends" and was willing to negotiate over safeguards that will stop doctors from working too many hours.

"This is a good deal for doctors. We are reducing the maximum hours a doctor can be asked to work from 91 to 72 hours [a week]. We're stopping doctors being asked to work for five nights in a row."

More on this BBC story here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34561366

"We are reducing the maximum hours a doctor can be asked to work from 91 to 72 hour" Why are these Doctors working these ludicrous hours? How can this be right? Surely a 40 hour basic working week should be the norm, it is for most UK workers, and most workers do not have the pressure and responsibility of a young Doctor.

Never in my life have I seen UK Doctors marching on the streets protesting, this is another nail in the coffin of the NHS.

Those ministers better pray that one day they themselves don't end up the victim of a clinical error that was due to an absolutely exhausted doctor(Exhausted due to dickensian working hours and probably having to walk miles to work because the pay cut meant running a car any more is a no-no) accidentally overlooking something! Vote tory in haste-repent at leisure!

When I was an HGV driver the most we could work was 55 hours/week and there were enforced breaks. Now I think the hours are considerably less. But then we didn't have to fill in for Consultants when they were on the golf course. Some junior doctors are On Call non stop for 48 hours or more, scary stuff indeed.

Things can only get worse with the TTIP if it ever gets off the ground 

Public services, especially the NHS, are in the firing line. One of the main aims of TTIP is to open up Europe’s public health, education and water services to US companies. This could essentially mean the privatisation of the NHS.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/what-is-ttip-and-six-reasons-why-the-answer-should-scare-you-9779688.html

There's already been a mutual learning process where the NHS learns some of the worst habits of American HMOs and insurance companies, and vice versa. I know some of them are poised to buy into the NHS. Wasn't Andrew Lansley's wife involved?