A MILITANT doctor who encouraged industrial action has been slammed for bragging about her luxury holiday during the recent strike.
Union rep Dr Eilidh Garrett shared photos of her stay at the property in Tuscany, with a swimming pool and huge communal living area, writing: “So lucky to be in the most amazing villa I’ve ever seen.”
Union rep Dr Eilidh Garrett shared photos of her stay at the property in TuscanySupplied
She defended her ‘nice experience’ and said it should not undermine the doctor’s strikeSupplied
Her post on X/Twitter came on July 27 as more than a thousand resident doctors staged a five-day walk-out over pay — for which they would have lost wages.
In the weeks before the strike, Dr Garrett encouraged colleagues to “vote yes”, adding: “Fluffy sentiments don’t pay the bills.”
She also pointed out those voting to strike would still receive previously promised pay uplifts.
After she received backlash for her holiday posts, Dr Garrett defended taking annual leave as striking staff were holding placards outside St Thomas’ Hospital in South East London.
She said: “To be clear this is my partner’s business trip, being hosted by someone else, and I’m tagging along.”
She said one doctor having a “nice experience” is not a reason to be against the pay campaign for resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors.
Shadow Health Secretary Stuart Andrew said: “The BMA claim it’s about fairness, but flaunting a luxury holiday while patients are left in the lurch and colleagues forgo wages on strike is a slap in the face.”
Dr Garrett, who has worked at Merseyside’s Southport Hospital, is a UK Resident Doctors Committee Representative, according to her social media.
She serves on a local negotiation committee — which represents doctors to NHS trust managers.
In 2023, she missed BMA strikes as she was recovering from liposuction — although technically she was not eligible for industrial action as she was a student.
She had previously joined the picket line and encouraged the walkout.
In 2023, she also wrote on X: “I’m going to be completely candid. I did medicine for money.
“I have no issues admitting that. I don’t think that will make me a worse doctor.
“I was told from a young age: you’re gifted. You can do anything you want. I looked at highly paid careers. I chose medicine.”
NHS England said that fewer than a third of resident doctors turned out to strike last month.
A BMA spokesperson said: “This strike would not have been necessary had the Government provided resident doctors in England with an offer that was credible and acceptable to them.”
NHS England said it maintained care for an estimated 100,000 more patients in the latest strike compared to last year’s walkout.
Ninety-three per cent of planned operations, tests and procedures went ahead as planned.
Resident doctors staged a five-day walkout in a dispute over payEPA
Dr Eilidh Garrett encouraged other doctors to join the strike actionSupplied
She previously claimed she took up medicine ‘for the money’Supplied Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
