They deserve much better

We have heard recently in the news of strikes carried out by junior doctors because of changes to their contracts, which may lead to overwork, causing the care of patients to deteriorate.

We should support the BMA and junior doctors in their arguments to protect the NHS for our patients.

In Sunderland Royal Hospital the shortages of consultants has brought about the closure of the Breast Cancer Service since December 2014.

Breast Cancer patients from Sunderland are being referred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital at Gateshead. One hospital, one set of consultants looking after Breast Cancer patients from two hospitals.

Junior doctors are our future consultants, surgeons and qualified doctors.

If they are forced to move out of the country because of contract difficulties there will be a major shortage of much-needed qualified medical staff.

Sunderland Royal Hospital has suffered such shortages when breast cancer consultants and surgeons have retired, left the service, for whatever reasons in recent years, resulting in no Breast Cancer Services for patients, because we are informed the much-needed consultants are not attracted to the region.

If we cannot keep or attract medical doctors and consultants to the region and over burden other hospitals with Sunderland patients there will be a serious knock on effect, especially if our junior doctors are not given a satisfactory contract that they all deserve.

Name withheld