WHEN doctors take industrial action tomorrow, it will be the first time they have done so since 1975.

They do not take industrial action lightly and the British Medical Association (BMA) – the doctors’ union – says it is being done this time with a “heavy heart”. Indeed, the BMA has gone to the lengths of taking out large advertisements in newspapers such as this one to explain its case.

The truth, however, is that there will be minimal public sympathy for tomorrow’s action and a significant number of doctors will be feeling uncomfortable about what is happening.

Doctors are understandably unhappy at the significant changes being proposed in their pension arrangements.

Who wouldn’t be? They now face having to put 14.5 per cent of their salary aside to fund their indexlinked pension, instead of the current percentage of 8.5 per cent. In addition, the age at which they will be able to draw their full pension will rise by two years.

But the average doctor’s pension at 68 will still be £68,000 a year, with 85 per cent funded by the taxpayer. In these days of severe economic challenges, that’s not too shabby.

People know that doctors fared very well indeed from a productivity deal negotiated with Tony Blair’s government in 2004. Indeed, even doctors were pleasantly surprised at the terms of that agreement.

It is against this highly favourable background, and the painful sacrifices having to be made by people from all walks of life, that public sympathy for the doctors’ action will be hard to find tomorrow.