Firstly, a reminder. I am completely opposed to the idea of the new contract. I think it is both unfair and potentially unsafe, and will ultimately lead to the collapse of the NHS as we know it should it be successfully implemented. This contract dispute has united doctors all over the country, inspired unprecedented marches, and will almost certainly result in industrial action from doctors for the first time in decades.
Unfortunately, it has also awakened a monster.
The initial response from junior doctors everywhere was admirable, and trainees all over England stood together in a show of solidarity. Most of the original content on the 50,000-strong Facebook group expressed outrage at the contract changes, discussed the possibility of industrial action, or mused at the merits or otherwise of fleeing to an alternative career in Australasia.
Other contributors, though, veered away from the serious and depressing nature of the contract disputes, and soon amusing videos, memes and parodies saturated the wall. Some posts you felt must have been accidental; surely no one thought it was appropriate, or of interest to others, to post a recipe for chilli on a forum dedicated to contract implementation? Suddenly, too, we were seeing photos of contributors’ babies, with inspiring quotes pasted above them.
As inane as some of this was, it was just about manageable. It was good-natured, it was harmless, and it was in some ways a welcome break from the disheartening realisation of the impact of the impending contract. What was not acceptable, though, was some of what followed.
First there was the Gladiator parody film. Is comparing Junior Doctors’ contract disputes to the plight of slaves really appropriate? Yes, it was an attempt at humour, but you can’t help from reading some of the responses that some believe us to be martyrs to a cause of epic proportions.
Next came the music video (can we call it that?) outside an instantly recognisable hospital. Here are Doctors prancing with synchronised dance moves, singing a song about Jeremy Hunt. Is this the kind of attention-seeking behaviour we want to advertise to the public? It makes doctors look lazy, and it’s not hard to imagine the average Daily Mail reader’s reaction. Why are these doctors cavorting outside the hospital rather than treating patients inside, they may ask. To be fair, it’s not an unreasonable question.
This video appeared in the midst of endless tales of self-sacrifice and heroism. Doctors have been frantically documenting all of their wonderful altruisms for others to see. You’ve held the hand of someone who was dying? You’ve stayed 3 hours beyond your shift? Congratulations, you’ve done your job. The same way as pretty much everyone else who has ever worked as a junior doctor has done theirs. Perhaps you’re writing all this on a public forum because it provides some relief or catharsis. Reflect on it for your E-portfolio then! That’s what it’s there for! Sadly, the implicit point seems in many cases to be that being a doctor is somehow more worthwhile than any other career.
This brings me on to my next grievance. I’ve read more than once that doctors are the cream of the crop, and that ‘we could walk into any job in the private sector’. This comment smacks of both arrogance and ignorance towards any career other than our own, and quite frankly, makes me embarrassed to call myself a doctor.
Ok, so in all likelihood it is a small minority of doctors who feel this way, and these posts probably aren’t reflective of the views of the profession as a whole. This sanctimonious attitude worries me though. With it looking more likely every day that doctors will take industrial action, this contract dispute will be hugely influenced by public opinion. The medical community cares deeply about public perception, and attitudes that some doctors are demonstrating is only going to hinder any attempt at gaining support from the public.
I’m beginning to feel uneasy about striking, primarily as I don’t think it will have the slightest impact upon the government’s plan to push forward with the contract implementation. If we do strike though, we need to do so whilst retaining some semblance of class and perspective. Otherwise, I’m afraid, this new contract is all that we deserve.
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