- Longest strike: Junior doctors in England commence their longest strike over pay
- Disruptions expected: NHS warns patients to expect significant disruptions during the strike
- Pay discussions: Government refusal to negotiate before the protest described as “baffling” by junior doctors
The NHS has warned patients to expect significant disruptions as junior doctors in England commence their longest strike over pay.
The five-day strike in England concludes on Tuesday, July 18 at 07:00 BST.
Thousands of scheduled appointments will be postponed while more senior physicians provide emergency care, before going on strike on Thursday and Friday of next week.
People can still dial 999 in the event of a life-threatening emergency.
Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents trusts, told that patients would sense the impact.
He stated, “The continuous period of industrial action is extremely detrimental to the NHS in terms of both patients and costs.
“The last junior doctor’s strike cost the NHS around £100 million in direct costs, not to mention the impact on progress towards delivering waiting list reduction, so this is extremely difficult and challenging, and we need a resolution to this industrial action as soon as possible.”
In addition to strikes, hospitals have confronted additional obstacles to return to full capacity since the Covid outbreak.
These include personnel shortages, an increase in emergency patients, and difficulties in discharging patients due to a lack of community care.
The number of patients waiting to begin routine hospital treatment reached a record high of 7.47 million at the end of May, up from 7.42 million at the end of April, according to the most recent data.
It is the highest figure since the measure was implemented in August 2007 and nearly three million more than before the pandemic.
Although the NHS is near to eliminating waits of more than 18 months, one in twenty patients has waited over a year.
Pay discussions
The refusal of the government to negotiate before the five-day protest has been described as “baffling” and “frustrating” by junior doctors, who range from recent graduates to seasoned physicians with over ten years of experience.
Steve Barclay, Health Secretary, called physicians’ 35% salary hike “unreasonable” and warned that the strike will endanger patients.
The government is contemplating pay raises of 6 to 6.5% for public sector employees, including junior doctors.
Official independent pay review bodies have recommended 6-6.0% pay increases for employees including teachers, junior physicians, and police officers. May inflation was 8.7%.
The announcement will be made on Thursday after the prime minister and the chancellor have given their formal approval.
Patient safety comes first
A&E care is available, but patients with minimal health concerns should contact NHS 111 or the nearest pharmacy.
If an appointment must be rescheduled, individuals will be notified. It is unlikely that GP and community appointments will be affected.
NHS England medical director Stephen Powis stated that the health service was “entering an incredibly busy, disruptive period” and that employees were doing everything possible to maintain services and address a record backlog of patients awaiting appointments or treatment.
Recent NHS strikes in England have cancelled or postponed nearly 600,000 appointments.
“My knee is in excruciating pain, like a hot volcano,” she said.
Richard McKenzie, a marketing manager from Berkshire, is in constant agony as he awaits a knee replacement operation that was scheduled for today but has been postponed due to the strike.
“The pain feels like someone is sticking hot needles into a hot volcano in your knee.” “It’s terrible,” he says.
He says, “It means you can’t sleep or rest, and I can’t think either.” “Or I must take so many painkillers that I am unable to think anyway.”
He stated that his circumstance is “completely” impacting his life: “When you’re in constant pain, it affects your relationships, the way you work, and it makes you short-tempered. It is always present and cannot be avoided.”
Richard is not confident that his rescheduled surgery will occur in a few weeks either.
And he is concerned about how constant delays will affect his work, which necessitates frequent travel to Germany.
Why are physicians on strike?
Junior physicians want a 35% salary boost because compensation has lagged behind inflation for 15 years.
The British Medical Association (BMA) called the government’s 5% wage rise “credible.”
Eighty-six percent of BMA members supported the fourth strike by junior physicians in England since the pay dispute began.
In England, junior physicians account for approximately half of all hospital doctors and a quarter of all GPs. The British Medical Association represents over 46,000 junior physicians.
After a 17.5% salary raise over two years was given, Scottish junior physicians cancelled this week’s strikes.
The secretary of health stated that the 35% wage increase demand “risks fueling inflation, which makes everyone poorer.”
Mr. Barclay stated, “If the BMA demonstrates a willingness to move significantly away from their current pay demands and cancels these damaging and disruptive strikes, we can sit down to negotiate a fair resolution to this dispute.”
The junior physicians’ committee of the British Medical Association urged the government to “reassess their entrenched position” and resume negotiations.
Consultants providing emergency care during this strike will strike on Thursday and Friday, July 20 and 21.
Consultants will give “Christmas Day coverage”—emergency treatment and a little routine work.
In some parts of England, patient scan radiographers have agreed to strike over salary this month.
