'It's like being in an abusive relationship' - Bristol NHS doctor shares frustrations on picket line
Watch Max Walsh's report here
A striking junior doctor in Bristol taking part in industrial action says it’s getting harder to continue as she compared working life to an "abusive relationship".
Members of the British Medical Association (BMA) union are on strike for 72 hours in an ongoing dispute over pay.
Dr Emma Coombe is a BMA union member and was outside Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) on 14 June after the union rejected the government’s recent 5% pay offer.
Speaking before joining the picket, Emma said how the profession has “changed a lot” since she first qualified 11 years ago.
She said: “It’s always been intense and it’s always been hard work. It’s a really rewarding job but at the moment the environment we’re doing the job in is getting tougher and tougher.
“The thing I’m finding hardest is starting every job with an apology because we’re not able to provide the level of care that we’d like to as nurses and doctors.”
The stress doesn’t stop when you clock off though. Emma said the pressure goes home with her and that shows through in the data too with more NHS staff suffering from mental health problems and burnout.
Emma compared her job to a love-hate relationship.
She said: “It’s like being in an abusive relationship with someone you love - you want to give your all to them but then they treat you really badly but you can’t stop yourself from going back.
“Working as a doctor in the NHS hurts me, but I still love it.”
Thinking in the long-term, Emma doesn’t know if being an NHS doctor is sustainable for her.
She said: “I’ve got 34 years left before retirement, I’ve got to think if I can keep this up. There’s an international market for doctors, I can take my degree anywhere.
“When you look at other countries paying double for their doctors, I think if that’s the quality of life I want for me and my family. It’s tempting - I would love to stay in the NHS though.”
Speaking outside on BRI on the picket, Emma thanked members of the public for their support.
She also said: “I’m really sorry to those patients experiencing disruption but the truth is appointments are cancelled day-in-day-out because we don’t have enough doctors.
“It’s getting harder to strike each time, it’s hitting my wages and my husband is a teacher so both of us are losing pay to make a point but we can’t not do this.
“We’re completely committed to this and we’re not going anywhere.”
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…