A Junior doctor from Elephant and Castle has produced a pop song in protest to the government’s health reforms, and wants to raise £1m for charity.
Rishi Dhir, 35, wrote the song Stand Up with David Randall, the guitarist of electronic legends Faithless, and had the music video shot at Camberwell Film Studios.
He was inspired to write the protest tune about the changes to NHS junior doctors’ contracts. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt announced this week that working contracts will be imposed on junior doctors.
Many within the profession argue the new contracts will risk patient safety by forcing doctors to work more unsociable hours, while not employing the extra staff necessary, or increasing doctors’ wages to compensate.
Rishi, who has worked in the NHS for ten years and is training as an orthopaedic registrar, said: “The lyrics of the song are ‘it’s not safe, not fair, we didn’t sign up to this’.
“The government don’t care for what our point of view is. We just want to look after people, not to be forced to play politics and be degraded.
“Although the music video and the song are political, the style of both is meant to be quirky and memorable, but with thoughtful lyrics. I think that’s the way to leave an impression on people.
“If you listen to ‘Imagine’ or ‘What’s going on’, they are both very political songs, but they’re beautiful pieces of music.”
Rishi, who trained at Guys’ and St Thomas’ hospitals, said he met the Faithless guitarist through his a mutual friend, and through his own career as a singer and sitar player.
“David is a bit of an activist too. A friend of mine put us in touch and he liked my voice and song writing,” Rishi said.
“I recorded the song myself and Dave produced it and is releasing it on his record label, Brixtown Records. It would be great if it went viral, maybe made it into the charts so it could make a statement.”
Money for any sales of the record will be donated to Care Two charity.