A VIDEO has surfaced, highlighting what the Welsh public think of the junior doctor wage amid the strikes earlier this week and ongoing workforce crisis.

BMA Wales Junior Doctors Cymru, a trade union for junior doctors in Wales, has released a video where members of the Welsh public were asked a series of questions relating to the four-day strike at the beginning of the week (March 25 - 28).

In the video, one member of the public said: "They're paid so little considering the level of work and the level of education and training they have to do before getting to that role."

South Wales Argus: Junior doctors protesting for pay restoration in WalesJunior doctors protesting for pay restoration in Wales (Image: BMA WJDC)

Another person interviewed, added: "People are our greatest resource in the NHS and if we don’t look after them, who's going to look after us ultimately?”

The team at BMA Wales Junior Doctors Cymru took to the rainy streets in Wales to ask for the public's opinion on the starting wage for junior doctors being £13.65 per hour.

One of the interviewees emphasised that this is "a criminal wage to pay somebody to do the sort of job that they do."

South Wales Argus: Junior doctors at the picket line protesting for fair pay restorationJunior doctors at the picket line protesting for fair pay restoration (Image: BMA WJDC)

"The first thing that strikes me is that that's much less than many unskilled jobs," said one woman in the drizzly weather, while another talked about how he didn't think "that sort of pay rate is really fair" and doesn't reflect the value and skills of a doctor's role.

A poignant point was made by one of the interviewees, who said: "I want to know that if I need help from somebody in hospital, that the person helping me at that point is well paid, well motivated and has decent morale. If you're being underpaid to that extent, how can you?"

The full video is given below.

Dr Oba Babs-Osibodu and Dr Peter Fahey co-chairs of BMA Cymru Wales’ junior doctors committee said:  

“After our last round of action, we wrote to the minister for health and social services, and we remain ready to enter discussions if a credible offer is presented by the Welsh Government." 

 They added: "No doctor wants to strike,"

A new survey by BMA Cymru has recently revealed that 39% of med students plan to leave Wales after they graduate due to "better pay and working conditions" elsewhere.