Juniors' contract: the accidental activist

Since qualifying four years ago, junior doctor Aoife Abbey has learned that she is a vital part of the NHS. She is not going to let a punitive contract the Government wants to impose squash the life out of her. Caroline Winter-Jones reports 'I never thought I would be protesting for something that I have taken for granted like fair pay,’ says intensive care trainee Aoife Abbey. Driven to marching in the streets of London, along with 20,000 other doctors in October, the Worcestershire-based specialty trainee 3 says she never expected to find herself part of the movement that the junior doctor cause has become. Raising placards in London is just one thing Dr Abbey has done in recent months that has turned her from an occasional blogger penning reflective pieces on her own practice to an activist writing heart-felt open letters to health secretary Jeremy Hunt. The watershed moment for her was when Mr Hunt confirmed in September that he was going to impose the new junior contract from August next year. ‘I was driving home from work. I was late and I was tired. I knew this day was imminent but I felt so helpless and upset. ‘I got home and decided to write this letter to Mr Hunt. It was what I needed to get out on a page. I put it online that night and it just so happened that it was when many of the people I know were coming online to find out what was happening.’   Course for collision More than 24,000 people have now read Dr Abbey’s ‘D...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news