Ofcom has been hit by thousands of complaints following a debate about the junior doctors' pay dispute on Jeremy Vine's Channel 5 current affairs show.
The media watchdog said it is currently considering whether to launch an investigation following the programme on March 13, which prompted more than 2,200 complaints. The episode saw Vine invite broadcaster Lin Mei and associate editor of the Daily Mirror Kevin Maguire to discuss junior doctors in the NHS taking strike action over pay.
When asked whether junior doctors deserve a 35% pay increase, Mei said: “We need doctors and I don’t think the job of being a doctor is as attractive anymore so I do agree they need a pay rise, but 35% is a stretch. Essentially like (Vine) said, being a doctor is like being in other fields, a graduate, an apprentice. Now the average for a graduate is £25,000, so they’re still getting more than the average graduate.”
