Results from BMA poll of public support on pensions action

Read the results of independent research from Ipsos MORI into the general public's views on the pensions dispute, commissioned by the BMA.

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QA) As you may know, the government is introducing changes to the pension paid to people working in the NHS. Doctors working in the NHS are affected and took industrial action on the 21st June as a protest against the government's changes. From what you know or have heard, please can you tell me the two or three main reasons doctors gave for taking industrial action?
Doctors want better pensions		25%
Doctors' retirement age is being increased/Doctors will have to work longer before retiring		19
Doctors will have to pay more into their pension		18
Doctors will receive a lower pension		10
Doctors want to be paid more		10
Doctors are unhappy about changes to the NHS/NHS Reforms		9
Government is breaking deal made a few years ago/in 2008		4
Doctors have to pay more than civil servants on the same salary		4
Doctors will lose the final salary scheme		2
NHS pension scheme currently brings in more than it pays out/NHS pension scheme is not in financial trouble/NHS pension scheme is in surplus		2
Doctors are selfish		2
Public sector cuts generally		1
Anti-government/Doctors don't like the government		1
Other		6
I didn't know doctors are taking industrial action		9
Don't know		21
Q1) As you may know, on Thursday this week doctors took industrial action. Before this interview, were you aware or not aware that doctors had taken industrial action?
I was aware	81%
I was not aware	19
Don't know	-

Q2) And how much, if at all, have you heard about doctors taking industrial action?

	%
A great deal	16
A fair amount	43
Not very much	37
Not at all	*
Don't know	59
A great deal / Fair amount	41
Not very much/Not at all

As you may know, there have been several rounds of negotiations between doctors and the government about their pensions, but the government has now made its final offer, which doctors have rejected. On Thursday this week they took industrial action as a protest against the government's changes to their pensions.

Q3) On the whole, from what you know and/or have heard, would you tend to support the government or the doctors in this dispute?
Base: All

	Wave 4* %
Strongly support the doctors	26
Tend to support the doctors	23
Support neither	19
Tend to support the government	15
Strongly support the government	14
Don't know	3
Support the doctors	49
Support the government	29

* For Waves 1-2 the preamble to the question was different to that in Wave 3: "As you may know, there have been several rounds of negotiations between doctors and the government about their pensions, but the government has now made its final offer. Many doctors – including hospital doctors and GPs are unhappy with the changes."
** For Wave 3 the preamble read: "As you may know doctors have rejected the government's final offer and will now be taking industrial action as a protest against the government's changes to their pensions."

Q4) And do you think that doctors were right or wrong to take industrial action?

	%
Right	48
Wrong	42
Don't know	10

Q5a) Were you, or any members of your immediate family, directly affected by the industrial action taken by doctors on Thursday?

	%
Yes	5
No	94
Don't know	1

Q5b) And in what way were you, or any members of your immediate family, affected by the industrial action taken by doctors on Thursday?
Base: All those who were affected by the industrial action (52)
NB. Very small base size

	%
Hospital appointment or procedure cancelled	18
GP appointment cancelled	12
Couldn't get seen by a GP	10
GP appointment postponed	9
Longer than usual waiting time at GP surgery	9
Hospital appointment or procedure postponed	7
Couldn't get seen in a hospital	1
Other	37
Don't know	3

Q6) To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement:

	The safety of patients was put at risk by doctors taking industrial action %	Doctors did as much as possible to make sure patients were not put at risk during the industrial action %
Strongly agree	11	38
Tend to agree	16	30
Neither agree nor disagree	17	16
Tend to disagree	29	6
Strongly disagree	25	5
Don't know	2	5
Agree	27	68
Disagree	54	11

Q7) To what extent, if at all, do you think patients were <INSERT> by the industrial action taken by doctors on Thursday?

	A great deal %	A fair amount %	Not very much %	Not at all %	Don't know %	A great deal / Fair amount %	Not very much / Not at all %
Harmed	4	17	48	23	7	21	71
Inconvenienced	14	40	36	6	4	54	42

Q7a) To what extent, if at all, do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the ongoing dispute between doctors and the government.

	Industrial action is pointless as the government won't change its mind on NHS pension reform	Doctors should consider taking further action in order to try to get the government to change its mind on NHS pension reform	Doctors had to take action because the government acted unfairly over the doctors' pensions	Doctors should never have taken industrial action in the first place
Strongly agree %	20	18	23	22
Tend to agree %	26	24	25	19
Neither / nor %	13	16	17	12
Tend to disagree %	17	16	16	21
Strongly disagree %	19	23	16	22
Don't know %	3	3	3	3
Agree %	46	42	48	41
Disagree %	36	39	32	43

Q8) To what extent do you support or oppose doctors taking further industrial action, similar to that taken on Thursday if the government does not re-open negotiations.

	%
Strongly support	19
Tend to support	23
Neither/Nor	20
Tend to oppose	15
Strongly oppose	20
Don't know	2
Support	42
Oppose	35

Q9) As a result of the industrial action taken by doctors this week, how likely or unlikely do you think the government is to re-open negotiations with doctors over the changes to pensions?

	%
Very likely	8
Fairly likely	27
Fairly unlikely	38
Very unlikely	22
Don't know	5
Likely	35
Unlikely	60

Q10) Which, if any, of the following statements comes closest to your opinion of doctors as a result of the industrial action?

	%
I think worse of doctors for taking industrial action	16
Doctors taking industrial action has made no difference to my opinion of them	70
I think better of doctors for taking industrial action	13
Don't know	1