Junior doctor walked 8 miles through heavy snow to treat patients days before strike

The doctor ploughed through 14km of snow to get to work and “would do the walk again if needed in a heartbeat”

Dr Alex Burnett walked for over two hours to care for his patients (Dr Alex Burnett)

A junior doctor trekked for two hours and 35 minutes to get to help his patients - after heavy snow stopped him from driving.

Dr Alex Burnett took on the eight-and-a half mile journey from Thurgoland to his nearest tram stop, and said he would “do the walk again if needed in a heartbeat.”

The 33-year-old from Sheffield took on the hike on Friday - March 10 - three days before he joined a national junior doctor strike.

Dr Burnett recorded the hike on his Strava and shared a picture of the journey (Dr Alex Burnett)

“We live a good 9 miles away and I knew I had a clinic that I needed to be at with patients that needed seeing so I wrapped up warm and got on with it,” he said. “I love the NHS and am proud to serve patients whatever the conditions. I’d do the walk again if needed in a heartbeat.”

Dr Burnett set off at 6.15am and got to the hospital at 9.15am, just 15 minutes late.

This week he joined the picket lines, during walkouts taking place on Monday to Wednesday.

He said he feels indebted to the NHS after staff helped his wife through a miscarriage and helped his parents through life-changing operations.

“The NHS gave my father his hearing back when I was 10 with a cochlear implant that completely changed our lives,” he said. “Then 15 years later it saved my mum’s life when she developed a sudden severe bowel obstruction.

“It’s guided me and my wife through the birth of our two children and held our hands during my wife’s miscarriage.

“I believe The NHS is a beautiful, wonderful endeavour. A revolutionary social policy to prove that humans really can care for one another no matter what their situation. It’s not perfect, nothing is, and we should strive to improve it but we must fight for it.”

Junior doctors in England began a 72 hour walk out on Monday morning (PA Wire)

Tens and thousands of junior doctors in England began a 72 hour walkout on 13 March - following demands for better work and pay conditions.

The British Medical Association - BMA - is demanding a substantial pay rise for doctors, with its latest campaign saying junior medics could earn more per hour if they worked in Pret A Manger.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay invited the BMA for talks last Friday but the union rejected the ideas proposed saying the pre-conditions were unacceptable.

The pre-conditions included looking at a non-consolidated lump sum payment for last year, whereas the BMA is seeking what it calls “full pay restoration”.