Nigel Farage has no sympathy for ‘extreme’ doctors
Junior doctors striking over cuts to their pay and conditions are "behaving in an extremely militant way" and do not deserve sympathy, Nigel Farage claimed today.
The Ukip leader said that junior doctors would still remain highly paid and therefore should not strike.
"I think they are behaving in an extremely militant way," he told LBC.
"The fact is that doctors… have had one of the best deals, they literally had Gordon Brown over a barrel and a lot of them now are paid a lot of money."
Junior doctors' pay begins at just £22,000 a year. However, Farage claimed many earn much more.
"You'll always hear that argument won't you from somebody in the health service who is looking for a better deal? I don't feel a huge wave of sympathy for some of the junior doctors, who are on the way to being to some of the best-paid members of society, are going on strike. I don't like the look of it," he said.
Farage's comments echoed those of the health secretary, who yesterday labelled the strike by junior doctors as an "extreme action".
"Threatening extreme action is totally unwarranted and will harm vulnerable patients, " he said.
"Refusing to talk to a government that wants to improve weekend care for patients and reduce doctors' hours can only damage the NHS."
Junior doctors plan to walkout on three separate days next month over proposed changes to their contract which they say will extend the hours they are expected to work for basic rates of pay.
They claim the contract will also remove restrictions on doctors working dangerously long hours, which will put patients at risk.
