Both doctors and rail workers reported claims are hugely selective. It is difficult to know who to believe - a link to a Nuffield Trust report - in respect of doctors:
www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/exploring-the-earnings-of-nhs-doctors-in-england
10% are foundation level and earn an average of £41k pa (including allowances). At more senior junior doctor level (60%) earn an average of £71k.
I make no judgement as to whether this is good or bad, save that it runs completely counter to the message from the media and unions. Conclusion - media reporting is a distortion making public opinion formed thereon largely irrelevant.
Whether government and unions are actually talking constructively or not we have no clue.
Pragmatically - the public are becoming accustomed to a substandard service from rail and NHS.
For most folk rail is utterly unimportant. Most (bar commuters) have never caught a train in years. With increased work from home post pandemic, it is easy to plan around strike days.
The NHS, to its credit, still deals very effectively with critical needs. I suspect there is rather more public sympathy as extended waiting lists can be distressing - although I wonder whether, as with rail, we are fed an unbalanced/distorted view of waiting list reality.
As an election approaches there are two disparate thoughts. Will the Tories want to solve the disputes before the next election no matter what it costs. Or will they they stand firm forcing Labour to be explicit about their plans amd budget to resolve the issue.
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