JK ROWLING has weighed in on the bitter dispute between the UK government and junior doctors – telling fans that doctors “fear making a mistake above all else”.
Many English and Welsh junior doctors are in the midst of a months-long battle with the government over proposed changes to their contracts.
Now Rowling – whose husband is a doctor – has come to their defence on social media on the same day that doctors are striking over the proposed changes.
Posting this morning, she was reacting to a Tweet which read: “You can’t say that you want to ‘save the NHS’ but you will practice medicine privately if the state doesn’t pay you £X.”
In her response Rowling wrote: “Doctors who have been loyal to the NHS for years rather than chase £ abroad don’t deserve to be accused of greed.”
Minutes later she added: “Every doctor I know fears making a mistake above all else. This contract spreads the same resources more thinly.”
The government has claimed that the new contracts are key in creating a “seven-day NHS” – with consistent treatment for patients across the whole week.
But members of Rowling’s seven million strong Twitter following piled in to support her views on the contract dispute – which has sparked numerous strikes in recent months.
Adam Todd wrote: “Pretty sure the strike is ultimately about safety, not money. 100% behind them!”
Another supporter – Neil Bradbury – added: “Plus it’s not an issue of cash – it’s working unreasonably long hours that’re going to affect how well they can do their jobs.”
But some others agreed with the poster of the original message.
One responded to the message from the Harry Potter author, saying: “They are greedy – they get paid way too much these days. They want you in and out, then it’s ‘Next’.”
