Cognitive Dissonance and the NHS
Consultants and junior doctors have been told that industrial action over pay will be a disaster for patients. Rishi Sunak said: 'Unfortunately, the progress we have been making (in reducing waiting lists) has stalled because of the industrial action' and called on junior doctors to accept the pay award 'so that we can all get back to treating patients and reducing waiting lists'.
Industrial action has been ongoing for most of this year. In August junior doctors walked out for 6 days, including a weekend. Consultants were on strike for 2 days in June and 2 days are on the cards for August. The doctors have been on strike for a total of 20 days, although not all of them and not all of them at the same time. What effect has this had on waiting times? Well, not at all for the strike days over the weekends, when elective work is not normally carried out (loss of 5 days).
On the remaining 15 days, even if all of them had planned elective operations that had to be cancelled, the worst that could happen was that the waiting list would increase by 15 days. And on strike days that are announced months in advance, which hospital would schedule routine elective work? The cognitive dissonance is there. Doctors of all seniorities are genuinely striking to improve the NHS. They are tired of providing poor care because of workload pressures, vacancies, unpaid overtime, management pressure to meet targets interfering with clinical priorities, and the ongoing trauma of two years with Covid. It is insulting to tell doctors to 'get back to treating patients' - doctors are going above and beyond to do this - when it is the government's policies that are the cause of staff depletion, disillusionment and the failure to reduce long waiting lists. Why not settle the pay dispute, which will undoubtedly cost less, if it is true that strikes have already cost £1 billion? Perhaps it's because it's not really about the money, but about the future of the NHS.
Just do the maths.
I worked in the NHS for 43 years, as a junior doctor, consultant and board member, and I understand the current state of the NHS. I am a qualified executive coach, and available to help. You can start the journey by booking a free no obligation 30 minute session here.