More than 2,000 Ofcom complaints have been lodged against Jeremy Vine’s Channel 5 daily show about remarks made towards young physicians.
Vine was bombarded with complaints following a debate about junior physicians receiving a 35% wage increase, with many rushing to social media to correct him.
‘These are the first few years, and I wouldn’t call them trainees, but they’re still finding their feet. ‘They’re mostly junior physicians or foundation job doctors,’ he explained.
In a TikTok explaining the situation, one person said: ‘You use foundation doctor and junior doctor interchangeably there, that’s not how it works. If you were a doctor you would know that.’
A foundation doctor is a type of junior doctor that works for the first two years following graduation.
The seething viewer continued: ‘Don’t tell someone after they’ve spent at least five years at university that they’re still finding their feet.’
Vine also erroneously said that junior physicians earn a particular amount in ‘four to six years,’ despite the fact that the graphs he used to show this extended up to eight years.
‘It’s simply not true,’ the junior doctor said, going on to explain how long many can be junior doctors for.
‘You are suggesting on national television to an enormous audience that every doctor only spends four to five years as a junior, and that is wildly incorrect, and you don’t know so you shouldn’t be speaking about it,’ they said.
He also referred to a junior doctor who had completed his registrar training as “beginning their first day as a qualified doctor,” despite the fact that junior physicians are fully registered and certified.
‘If you don’t understand how medical training works in this country, if you don’t understand this technology, for goodness sake get off your silly little TV programme and don’t talk about it,’ TikTok star Maddy, who works as an A&E doctor, continued.
Vine’s statements drew 2,250 complaints from Ofcom.
Others voiced their frustrations on Reddit with one writing: ‘Done! What a twat, the whole arrogant way of saying a doctor on their very first day earns 80k??? Good Lord, this is brainwashing the public. Jeremy Vine needs his arse handed back to him by the BMA legends please.’
‘Ngl, this is making my blood boil…. Fully qualified only once we’re consultants….st8 being the same as a foundation doctor….and in his words “still finding our feet” 🤬😡 what happened to med school….?!’ someone else said.
Another shared their Ofcom complaint, which read: ‘Jeremy Vine has misinformed the public regarding junior doctors’ pay. He has confused junior (trainee) doctors with medical students, and made the claim that junior doctors in their first year after graduating from medical school could earn close to £80,000, if pay is fully restored. This is actually what a doctor with 5-8 years experience after graduating could hope to earn.
‘Mr Vine’s statement that “[junior doctors would] start their first day as an almost fully qualified doctor at £80,000” is factually incorrect, and broadcasting it endorses the spreading of misinformation to the general public.’
During the discussion, Vine’s guest Lin Mei also 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 percent is a stretch.
‘Essentially like [Vine] said being a doctor is like being in other fields as graduate or apprentice. Now the average for a graduate is £25,000, so they’re still getting more than the average graduate.’
The Jeremy Vine show airs weekdays at 9.15am on Channel 5.
What is Ofcom and what does it cover?
Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day.
The watchdog makes sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.
Ofcom deals with most content on television, radio and video-on-demand services, including the BBC. However, if your complaint is about something you saw or heard in a BBC programme, you may need to complain to the BBC first.
Its rules for television and radio programmes are set out in the Broadcasting Code.
The rules in the Broadcasting Code also apply to the BBC iPlayer.
This Broadcasting Code is the rule book that broadcasters have to follow and it covers a number of areas, including; protecting the under-18s, protecting audiences from harmful and/or offensive material and ensuring that news, in whatever form, is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.
Audiences can complain to Ofcom if they believe a breach of the Broadcasting Code has been made.
Every time Ofcom receives a complaint from a viewer or listener, they assess it to see if it needs further investigation.
If Ofcom decide to investigate, they will include the case in a list of new investigations, published in the Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin.
An investigation is a formal process which can take some time depending on the complexity of the issues involved.
Ofcom can also launch investigations in the absence of a complaint from a viewer or listener.