Nhs

[SoonerTexan]

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34965603

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/nhs/...to-strike.html

So I came across this...I think we talk so much about single-payer systems abroad in America, but we don't really understand much about how they operate or what issues they are facing.

I'm curious...will any of our Europeans or European-born (or lived abroad) members share more. [MENTION=4627]ballibeg[/MENTION] [MENTION=1447]McPants[/MENTION] (Still around?) [MENTION=1139]MrsC[/MENTION]

For example, in the article above...are junior doctors akin to US residents? What exactly are the stages of training? I read something recently about other forms of compensation (allowances) doctors receive besides salary--is that true?

[ballibeg]

The term junior doctor covers all doctors below Consultant level.

To become a junior doctor you need to complete your 5 year degree at medical school. Most start medical school at 18.

You then do two foundation years in hospitals generally moving specialty every 6 months on rotation, you must do general medicine and surgery.

From there they chose to specialise and apply for jobs in the area they wish. Depending on the area they pick they spend another 3 years to ten years furthering their experience and sitting exams before applying to become a consultant, the highest grade.

Not everyone makes consultant so remain 'junior' doctors their whole working lives.

With the European rule on working hours doctors in the NHS are limited to 48hrs a week averaged over 17 weeks.

My DW is a General Practitioner, a family doctor, but in a rural location so also covering Accident & Emergency and a 30 bed hospital. She is self employed as are most GPs and contracts back to the NHS and hence the working time directive doesn't apply to her.

Hope that helps!

[ballibeg]

Allowances are paid in respect of antisocial hours. More nights and weekends earn more than week day daytime hours.

Another boost is 'ash cash', a fee received for signing crematorium forms.

Worth remembering that pension benefits are very good in the NHS. It's a final salary scheme so you receive a % of your salary for life in retirement. Typically this can be 80%.

[Thirteen]

Very enlightening! Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MrsC]

Ballibeg put it better than I could have. I think junior doctors get paid a little more in Ireland but not by much.
They are generally finished medical school by 23 or 24, debt free but will likely never have the earning power that attendings here have, even if they do land a consultant job.
I think junior doctors shoulder more responsibility than residents do too.
This is why they're all leaving for the U.S, Canada and Australia. In the U.S at least, they're guaranteed an attending salary at some point. There is a serious shortage of physicians in Ireland right now because of this.
If they have to threaten to strike to prevent a pay cut, they should. These things rarely play out the way the media portray them. They are usually resolved before the strike anyway.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[McPants]

Ballibeg put it better than I could have. I think junior doctors get paid a little more in Ireland but not by much.
They are generally finished medical school by 23 or 24, debt free but will likely never have the earning power that attendings here have, even if they do land a consultant job.
I think junior doctors shoulder more responsibility than residents do too.
This is why they're all leaving for the U.S, Canada and Australia. In the U.S at least, they're guaranteed an attending salary at some point. There is a serious shortage of physicians in Ireland right now because of this.
If they have to threaten to strike to prevent a pay cut, they should. These things rarely play out the way the media portray them. They are usually resolved before the strike anyway.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

I wouldn't necessarily say debt free when it comes to the UK, given that universities now charge £9K per year in tuition fees, however the debt wouldn't really be comparable to that of U.S. trained medics (nor would the salary, obviously).

The UK does lose a fair number of medics to Australia every year, given that they can make vastly more money there whilst working less, however they are also one of the countries that recruit the highest numbers of foreign-trained medics, so I'd say the UK makes out about even in that regard.

[ballibeg]

Free tuition for Scots studying in Scotland. You only pay living costs.

[McPants]

Free tuition for Scots studying in Scotland. You only pay living costs.

..and it is also considerably cheaper for Northern Irish students studying in NI. I suppose I should have specified England and Wales above.

[ballibeg]

Didn't know that.

[SoonerTexan]

I do like the idea of starting med school earlier. 4 years of college + 4 years med school + 1 year Prelim year (useless) + 4 years Radiology Residency + 1 year Radiology Fellowship (TBD but pretty much mandatory)= a really long damn time.