It was made clear by the BMA that this industrial action was a last resort. Doctors have never wanted to strike but we have been backed into a corner by a destructive health secretary unilaterally imposing a cruel and damaging contract on the medical workforce. The BMA balloted its members for industrial action and obtained phenomenal support from doctors collectively appalled at the decisions of central government.
98% of those who voted (76% of those eligible, so 74.5% overall) said they would support strike action, a massive mandate for change and a clear sign, from those who know, that the government should re-examine their actions. The accusation that the BMA is merely a small band of "militant doctors" has been soundly disproved - essentially all doctors are willing to strike to prevent further erosion to doctor's conditions, ultimately to defend the NHS as we know it.
Compare this mandate with that of our government who received 36.9% of the vote, of 66.1% of the electorate: only 24.4% of the electorate gave their consent for the conservatives to vandalise our health service.
At the last moment the day before the strike Jeremy Hunt agreed to the BMA's conditions; lifting (temporarily) the threat of imposing a new contract and returning to meaningful negotiations via Acas. This was needlessly late in the day as there have been many, many occasions for the government to listen to the legitimate concerns of nearly all doctors.
I disagree with some of my colleagues who feel let down by the BMA. Some are angrily cancelling their memberships and have accused the BMA of weakness. Striking after receiving a reasonable truce would have been counter-productive in the extreme, leaving doctors open to accusations of greed and callousness. Striking is not our goal, it is our last resort tool in the struggle for a fair contract - its misuse would be very damaging to the public's perception of the profession and to our cause overall. Right now I think we retain both the upper hand and the moral high ground. We're winning, and Jeremy Hunt knows it - so he continues to cast doctors as villains, openly lies and attempts to divide us to weaken our resolve. Not going on strike is a good outcome at this point. Not least because we save our innocent colleagues and patients from some inevitable and regrettable hardship and inconvenience.
Of course I would have enjoyed the novelty of standing at a picket line rather than enduring the often tedious and menial tasks I perform on the ward. I wanted to express the righteous indignation and fully demonstrate my depth of feeling for the profession and for the NHS.
And of course I still think Jeremy Hunt is a dishonest, smug, odious tosser and I don't trust his treacherous grinning weasel face with any aspect of managing the nation's health.
But there's a much bigger picture: Doctors (and the health service and public sector as a whole) must remain united, dedicated and utterly professional in the struggle for fair treatment and the continued existence of the NHS. We have been gracious enough to give Hunt's first offer of conciliation the benefit of the doubt but if his arrogance continues we have the legal and moral mandate to strike in January.
Doctors feel attacked and denigrated, they have united to express this view and the secretary of state has been made to listen. The threat of imposing the new contract has been lifted for now, yet we maintain our mandate for industrial action should talks break downs. The most effective strike is one we don't have to do (yet).
