What is a junior doctor?
The term “junior” is somewhat misleading, as it refers to all doctors in training who are working under the supervision of consultants. That includes everyone from the most junior doctors, who are straight out of medical school, to pre-registration house officers, senior house officers and specialist registrars. It typically takes between 10 and 16 years to become a consultant, although this time period varies between specialties. How many junior doctors are there? There are some 39,000 junior doctors across the UK, with more than 30,000 working in the English health service. Why have they got a new pay deal? Junior doctors had long complained about their previous overtime system, which saw rates drop as low as 50% of the normal hourly rate for any hours worked over the contracted 40-hour week. Things came to a head during 1999, when junior doctors threatened strike action if improvements were not introduced. So is it just about money? No. There are major concerns about patients being
