'My son works evening and weekend shifts in a supermarket, usually not coming home until 10pm. Look at your own working hours these days and ask yourself if they’re a straight eight hours with no early starts or late finishes.'
National data shows 71.3 per cent of appointments last month were in person, still below 80.7 per cent before the pandemic. PIC: PAWith respect to GPs, who have passed a motion at a British Medical Association conference of local medical committees calling for the government to cut their core hours to 9am to 5pm, signalling an end to early morning and evening surgeries, they are hugely out of step with the times.
My son works evening and weekend shifts in a supermarket, usually not coming home until 10pm. Look at your own working hours these days and ask yourself if they’re a straight eight hours with no early starts or late finishes.A second motion at the conference called for the withdrawal of the ‘extended hours’ contract, which came into force last month. This requires GP networks to see patients between 9am and 5pm on Saturdays and weekday evenings from 6.30pm and 8pm.
I had to leave the house by 6.45am three days a week, and often prepared and marked work in the evenings and weekends. The other weekdays I wrote from home, and on Sundays had a newspaper deadline at 10am. Their dad was often away for work, leaving me as sole parent in charge.The feats of so-called juggling I had to pull off were sometimes eye-watering, but by no means exceptional. There are ways to make long working hours work, if you believe in your job enough.
I also find it slightly insidious that women’s rights are somehow being used to justify the motion. It’s reported that most GPs at the conference agreed that current working hours arrangements “indirectly discriminate against GPs who wish to have families”, saying that “due to the still-patriarchal nature of English society, this is discrimination that mostly affects female GPs”.
Everyone who works for an organisation has to follow the rules. In so few instances do employees get to set their working hours themselves.I recognise that GPs must undergo years of training and continuing professional development, and it’s a demanding career choice, but they are not that much of a special case. They must not be allowed to hold us all to ransom.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Black Friday - 40% off Garmin Forerunner 245 Music GPS Running Watch | Cycling deals from Dealclincher
Read more »
GPs seeing most and fewest patients face-to-face revealedData published yesterday shows the GPs in and around Watford seeing the most patients face to face.
Read more »
Cyber Weekend cycling deals live blog: Shimano 105 rim brake groupset down to £299.99; dhb winter gloves for £18; Wilier Jareen gravel bike for £999; £32 Lezyne GPS computer; Inner tubes for A QUID; 60% off Kask helmets; £12 Topeak saddlebag + loads moreSave (50% off) the rim brake!) Shimano's full 105 R7000 groupset with rim brakes is down to just £299.99, a bargain option if you're building up a bike and want to keep things a bit traditional... head to our live blog to grab the deal. cycling
Read more »
Cyber Weekend cycling deals live blog: Shimano 105 rim brake groupset down to just £299.99; Wilier Jareen GRX gravel bike for £999; £32 Lezyne GPS computer; Inner tubes for A QUID; 60% off Kask helmets; £12 Topeak saddlebag; wheelset bargains + loads moreSave (50% off) the rim brake!) Shimano's full 105 R7000 groupset with rim brakes is down to just £299.99, a bargain option if you're building up a bike and want to keep things a bit traditional... head to our live blog to grab the deal. cycling
Read more »
Cruise passenger rescued after 15 hours in the seaRescuers say it was a miracle he was saved after disappearing from a ship in the Gulf of Mexico.
Read more »
About 4,000 patients a day are spending more than 12 hours in A&E, top doctor warnsDr Adrian Boyle, the president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), said the emergency care system is 'collapsing'
Read more »