Plaid Cymru responds to news of junior doctors strike

Responding to the news that junior doctors in Wales have voted overwhelmingly to strike, Plaid Cymru spokesperson for Health and Social Care, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, said:

“JUNIOR doctors have seen their pay eroded continuously and their pay is nearly a third less in real terms today than what it was fifteen years ago. The NHS is nothing without its dedicated workforce, and that workforce deserves to be renumerated properly and to have the right working environment in order to provide the best care that they can. With inflation still running at nearly 6%, a 5% pay offer is another cut in real terms, and it’s no surprise that BMA members have decided to take action.

“The decision to take industrial action is not one that they will have taken lightly, and it’s such a profound disappointment to see a Labour Government in Wales failing to grasp the seriousness of the situation.

“Junior Doctors in England are also in dispute which is having a detrimental effect on patients outcomes here in Wales too. The UK Government are refusing to respond positively because of their ideological crusade against public services and the common good. This is impacting on Wales. I urge the Labour Government to re-enter negotiations in good faith and not to leave any stone unturned in their endeavours to find a resolution that ensures that we retain the junior doctors that we have and attract more to work in the Welsh NHS, and for the UK Government to put aside their callous disregard for others and give junior doctors the pay they deserve.”