You will need to provide some examples of hot topics you can apply during your medical school interviews. Here you will learn everything you need to know about the ongoing 2023 & 2024 junior doctors’ strikes in the UK and how they fit in with other NHS healthcare worker strikes in the UK.
The strikes are still ongoing as of 2024 - and are set to continue with no clear resolution in place.
This includes the ethical implications and some example medicine interview questions and model answers for you to look at. Combine your reading here with medicine interview tutoring to boost your answers and delivery.
Summary of 2023 & 2024 Junior Doctors’ Strikes in the UK for Medical Interviews
The campaign group “Doctors Vote” was formed in 2021 following conversations between junior doctors on social media
Junior doctors in England first went on strike for 3 days in March 2023, and further strike action may take place [at the time of writing]. The junior doctor strike dates were a full 72h walkout on Monday 13 March – Wednesday 15 March 2023.
Striking doctors are seeking pay restoration to pre-2008 austerity measures - doctors’ pay in real terms has been cut by 26% since the Conservatives came to power
During junior doctors’ strikes, consultants have been cancelling elective work and covering the wards instead
Controversy has arisen surrounding whether it is ethical for doctors to strike, as well as how the strikes are being covered in the press
Confirmed NHS Junior Doctor Strike Dates In The UK [Updated]
13th - 16th March 2023
11th - 16th April 2023
14th - 16th June 2023
13th - 18th July 2023
20th -23rd September 2023
2nd - 4th October 2023
20th - 22nd December 2023
3rd - 9th January 2024
24th - 28th February 2024
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What do I Need to Know About the 2023 and 2024 UK Junior Doctors’ Strikes for Medical School Interviews?
Why are junior doctors in the UK striking?
The UK is currently in a cost-of-living crisis. Inflation, per the Retail Price Index, was 13.4% in both December and January. This means that the cost of living - including everything from food and clothes to mortgage payments and interest on loans - was calculated to be 13.4% higher than at the same time last year.
When considering pay increases against inflation, junior doctors are now 26% worse off than they were 15 years ago. High levels of inflation have accelerated this. Some have criticised doctors for using the RPI rather than CPI (consumer price index) as a measure of inflation, but doctors maintain that it is more accurate as it uniquely includes energy, fuel and housing costs.
Junior doctors can be paid just £14.09 per hour - less than the £14.10 per hour that workers at coffee and sandwich shop Pret a Manger earn. They are also likely to have significant amounts of student debt, which can range from around £50,000 for English students to almost £200,000 for international students - plus living costs.
Junior doctors argue that low pay leads to low staffing and morale, and dangerous understaffing levels endanger patient safety. It is important to remedy this.
Note that the strikes are currently only taking place in England, with votes on strike action in the devolved nations to be held in due course.
Nurses are also striking, as you can read about in our article on their strike action.
👉🏻 Read more: NHS Questions at the Medicine Interview
What is the current status of the NHS doctor strikes?
The strikes arose from a grassroots activist movement of junior doctors known as Doctors Vote, which was founded following collaboration by members of the subreddit r/JuniorDoctorsUK. Within mere months, the organisation’s supporters comprised 26 of the 69 voting seats on the BMA’s ruling council, and 38 of the 68 members of the junior doctor committee.
The strikes were very widely supported by doctors, with a 77% turnout in the voting ballot from BMA (British Medical Association) members and 98% of voters supporting strike action. It remains to be seen what impact they will have, and whether or not there will be further strikes.
Doctors are seeking a 35% pay rise to restore pay to previous levels before the 26% cut. Note that to reverse a pay cut of 26%, the increase must be 35% - as it’s a percentage of a smaller starting amount. This means that doctors want to be paid the same as they were 15 years ago, in real terms, reversing over a decade of pay decreases.
Some have called these terms “unrealistic”, whilst others maintain that it is the bare minimum that should be provided to maintain a consistent standard of living for junior doctors across the years.
Members of the British Medical Association (BMA) took strike action from 11 April to 15 April.
It came after BMA leaders met Health Secretary Steve Barclay on Wednesday.
Mr Barclay has said the pay claim is "unaffordable". A deal offered to other NHS staff and backed by unions involves a 5% pay rise in April and a one-off payment of at least £1,655.
Previous Updates on the NHS Junior Doctor's Strike: The union representing junior doctors has announced a fresh 72-hour walkout in response to what they call the government's "paltry" 5% pay offer. The British Medical Association (BMA) said the strikes from 14-17 June in a bid to force ministers "to put forward a credible" salary rise.
What do the BMA junior doctor strikes mean for patient care?
Opponents of the strikes contend that they are unethical due to risks posed to patient safety. However, evidence relating to previous NHS strikes has shown that there is no harm to patient safety from strikes occurring (1,2).
Legally, strikes are not allowed to risk patient safety to the extent that they could cause death or serious harm. As such, staffing levels are maintained at the minimum level possible to maintain essential services such as A&E, intensive care, life-prolonging treatment and time-sensitive diagnostic procedures.
Consultants were covering the jobs of junior doctors during the strikes, which led to tens of thousands of elective appointments and procedures being cancelled. However, some have suggested that the NHS may actually have been safer during this time as more experienced doctors were carrying out the tasks usually carried out by junior doctors.
The extent to which this is true is unclear, as there is no evidence to support or oppose it. Whilst consultants do have more clinical experience than junior doctors, they are also not used to doing the day-to-day work that they were covering.
👉🏻 Read more: Common NHS Hot Topics
Key Ethical and Social Issues Related to the Junior Doctors’ Strikes in the UK
Is it ethical for doctors to strike? What are the ethics of doctors striking?
The ethics of the junior doctors' strikes is an important topic you could be asked about during your medicine interviews.
Proponents argue that it is ethical on two grounds.
First, doctors - as with any other employees - have the right to fair pay and working conditions. The importance of their work doesn’t undercut that. If anything, it enhances that right further. In particular, the job of a doctor has in many respects become harder over the last decade due to low staffing and the pandemic, whilst real-terms earnings have decreased.
Second, doctors are striking for patient safety. Striking now can prevent long-term harm befalling patients due to unsafe staffing levels and a tired, burnt-out workforce with significant mental health struggles.
Opponents of the strikes argue that it is unethical due to the risks to patient safety. However, as discussed above, the full extent of these risks is unclear. They also suggest that the strikes may undermine trust in the NHS, as patients are concerned when they see their doctors striking.
👉🏻 Read more: Answering Medicine Ethics Questions
How are the junior doctor strikes being reported in the press in the UK?
One incredibly important topic is how the strikes are being reported in the press. This has been the subject of much controversy, and many junior doctors are displeased with how the strikes are being reported on for a few reasons.
First, some papers are using terminology that casts junior doctors as villains. For instance, the Telegraph published an article titled: “Militant doctors’ union plan to bring the NHS to its knees during three-day walkouts”, and has blamed strikes on “the militant Left”.
Second, the BBC’s coverage of the strikes has been particularly controversial. As a publicly funded organisation, the BBC is required by law to cover topics impartially. However, their recent article titled “Why are doctors demanding the biggest pay rise?” has been critiqued by the BMA as containing “a number of misleading claims”.
Third, doctors’ strikes are being compared and contrasted with the strikes of other NHS workers such as nurses. This can be seen in headlines such as in the BBC’s article cited above, as well as the government’s response to the strikes as Dominic Raab MP calls on doctors to accept similar terms to those that have been offered to other NHS staff despite circumstances being different.
However, there are also news outlets reporting more positively on the strikes such as The Independent, which published the article: “Junior doctor walked 8 miles through heavy snow to treat patients days before the strike”.
Top tips for Medicine Interview Questions on the UK Junior Doctors’ Strikes
You could get questions about any of the above topics or strikes more generally, in your medical school interviews. Some top tips to consider are:
This is an incredibly complex issue that has become rather muddled in the press and the public discourse. Give your opinions clearly and rationally, whilst also referencing the surrounding discourse as best you can.
Be aware of the underlying economics of the strikes, and what the term ‘pay restoration’ really means.
Consider both sides of the issue, regardless of what side you fall on. A nuanced perspective that recognises points you may not agree with always makes for a more compelling answer.
By the time of your interviews, the situation will have progressed further beyond when this article was written. Be sure to do your own research and look up what the situation is like now.
Understand the historical context of the strikes, including the similarities and differences between the 2023 strikes and the 2016 junior doctors' strikes. This will allow you to provide a more informed perspective on the ongoing issues faced by junior doctors and the NHS.
Familiarise yourself with the role of key stakeholders, such as the British Medical Association (BMA), the government, and the media, in shaping the narrative and outcome of the strikes.
Be prepared to discuss potential solutions to the issues raised by the strikes, including alternative approaches to improving working conditions, pay, and patient safety within the NHS.
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Example Medicine Interview Questions and Answers on the Ongoing NHS Doctor Strikes
Q: Why have junior doctors been striking this year?
The main reason that junior doctors are striking is due to pay restoration.
Pay restoration is the process of reinstating their salaries to a level that is equivalent to their historical earnings, adjusted for inflation and other economic factors. By seeking pay restoration, junior doctors are advocating for a pay increase that would bring their earnings back to the same relative value they had in the past, considering factors such as the cost of living and inflation.
Since 2008, junior doctors’ pay has been cut by 26% in real terms - this considers inflation and tells us that the salary of a junior doctor allows them to purchase 26% less than it did 15 years ago. Therefore, they are seeking full pay restoration - a pay increase of 33% which would return real-terms earnings to what they were before the cut.
There are two main reasons for this, to my knowledge. First is the question of doctors’ well-being and rights. If anything, their jobs have become harder over the last 15 years due to issues like understaffing and COVID-19. They are seeking fair compensation for their work, just like bus drivers, teachers, and other professionals currently striking.
The second reason is patient safety. As doctors are becoming more burnt out, issues like anxiety and depression are causing them to leave the NHS - and, in many cases, medicine in general. It is hoped that full pay restoration would help to stop staff from leaving the NHS, therefore decreasing the workload of each individual doctor and making the wards safer.
The strikes are widely supported within the profession, with 98% of BMA voters supporting them. Full pay restoration is not just about doctors seeking fair compensation, but also trying to make the NHS safer for everyone.
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Q: How do the current doctor strikes compare to the junior doctor strike in 2016?
The 2023 and 2024 junior doctors' strikes in the UK bear some similarities and differences to the strikes that occurred in 2016. In 2016, the junior doctors' strikes were primarily driven by concerns over the proposed new contract by the UK government, which included changes to working hours, pay, and conditions.
The junior doctors argued that the new contract would lead to an increased workload, and longer hours, and could compromise patient safety due to fatigue and burnout. The strikes in 2016 were similarly controversial, with questions raised about the ethical implications and impact on patient care.
In contrast, the 2023 strikes are focused on the issue of pay restoration and addressing the real-term reduction in junior doctors' pay over the past 15 years. While both strikes stem from concerns about working conditions and patient safety, the 2023 strikes emphasise the financial impact on junior doctors and the need to reverse the decline in their real-terms earnings. The 2023 strikes also seem to have garnered more widespread support from the medical community, with a higher percentage of BMA voters supporting the strike action.
It is worth noting that the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the current situation, as the pandemic has placed additional strain on the NHS and its workforce.
The 2023 strikes highlight the continued challenges faced by junior doctors and the need for long-term solutions to ensure their well-being, fair compensation, and the overall safety of patients within the NHS.
Practice Mock Medical Interview NHS and BMA Junior Doctors’ Strike Questions
Do you support the 2023 and 2024 junior doctors' strikes?
What is full pay restoration in the context of the NHS?
How did the junior doctors' strikes arise?
Why do you think that so many junior doctors are leaving the profession?
Is it ethical for junior doctors to strike?
How is patient safety ensured when junior doctors go on strike?
What can you tell me about the controversy surrounding how the press has reported on the NHS junior doctors’ strikes?
What is the BMA?
How do the NHS strikes impact public perceptions of the NHS?
What is the current status of the 2023 junior doctors' strikes?
👉🏻 Read more: 280 Common Medicine Interview Questions
Conclusion
Overall, 2023 junior doctors’ strike questions can provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on the ethical challenges that can arise in medicine and to demonstrate your ability to think critically about these issues.
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