Lucy Allan junior doctor row: Nearly 1,500 people sign up to meet with MP after Facebook comments
Hundreds of junior doctors and residents have urged Telford MP Lucy Allan to meet with them following comments she made on social media.
Nearly 1,500 people joined a new Facebook group called Junior Doctors of Telford within 12 hours of it being set up.
The group's aim is to arrange a meeting with Ms Allan to "make their voices heard".
Wellington charity worker Laura Croudace said she has helped to set the page up to give junior doctors and those that support them a forum to present their views. Those involved hope to set up a meeting with Ms Allan, she said.
The Facebook group was set up at 10pm on Sunday and Laura said that within 12 hours she had more than 650 people join.
Hundreds of people have called for a "controlled" debate between Lucy Allan MP and junior doctors after she accused them of holding the NHS to ransom.
Laura Croudace has joined with junior doctors to gather together supporters who want to arrange for a discussion with the Telford MP to present their views on the need for the recent industrial action. Junior doctors took part in strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday last week in a row over pay and contracts that saw medics withdraw from emergency care for the first time ever.
Bosses at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust have praised junior doctors for their "professionalism" in ensuring patients received proper care during the strike.
But Mrs Allan has spoken out against the industrial action claiming it was irresponsible and junior doctors were "holding the British public to ransom".
She said: "While I am grateful for the work junior doctors carry out day in day out, I cannot support a strike that irresponsibly withdraws A&E treatment."
In a Facebook post on Saturday she said: "Hard-working people in Telford don't get why privileged trainee doctors, on course to earn £100,000 plus, will hold NHS to ransom and deprive ordinary people of emergency care."
This post was followed up on Monday.
But 29-year-old Laura, says attempts to call Mrs Allan or comment on her Facebook post have been to no avail, so supporters of junior doctors, and doctors themselves, have come together in a bid to better represent their views.
Laura said: "I had about 40 messages from local doctors in 12 hours. I've had messages from GPs in Telford, junior doctors and parents of junior doctors who say their children are missing out on so much because they are so exhausted when they come off shift."
In response to the group, Mrs Allan has urged any junior doctors from Telford to email her if they would like to meet.
In a Facebook post yesterday Lucy compared the average pay for doctors with that of the average resident in her constituency, saying the average starting salary for a junior doctor is 50 per cent more than that of the average person in Telford.
The new NHS contract will require junior doctors to work more weekends for less pay on Saturdays, but basic pay will increase by 13.5 per cent to compensate.
Junior doctors can email Lucy Allan at lucy.allan.mp@parliament.uk
