Junior physicians are striking over a 15-year “pay erosion” conflict.
The health secretary has accused junior doctors of adopting a “militant stance” and timing a four-day strike after the bank holiday to cause “maximum disruption” to patients.
Steve Barclay wrote in the Telegraph that the timing of the walkout posed a “substantial risk to patient safety.”
He added that their requests for a 35% compensation increase would add £20,000 to their annual salaries.
The walkouts, part of a long-running salary issue, begin on Tuesday, April 2, and last through Saturday, April 15.
One estimate placed the number of postponed appointments and surgical procedures at 250,000.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of the NHS, warned of “unprecedented levels of disruption” and added, “We are very concerned about the potential severity of impact on patients and services across the country.”
“This time the action immediately follows a four-day bank holiday weekend, which is already difficult as many staff is taking a much-needed vacation, and it will be more extensive than ever before with hospitals facing up to 50 percent of their NHS medical workforce absent for nearly 100 hours.”
The NHS will prioritize emergency, critical, and neonatal care, as well as maternity and trauma services. But tens of thousands of appointments, including those for cancer care, are expected to be postponed.
The British Medical Association (BMA) wants the health secretary to negotiate a solution to 15 years of “pay erosion,” claiming that junior doctors have lost more than 25 percent of their actual pay.
The organization has stated that if the government makes a “credible” pay offer, strikes could be avoided.
However, the Department of Health and Social Care demands an end to the strikes before it will negotiate.
We welcome meetings at any time.
Dr. Mike Greenhalgh, the deputy co-chair of the BMA’s junior doctors committee, stated, “We’re always willing to meet.
We would still meet him over the bank holiday weekend before the strike the following week.” And if he presented us with a credible offer at this late juncture, it could still prevent action.
He apologized to patients whose operations and appointments were canceled, but added, “Patient safety was maintained during the previous strikes. And it will be maintained during these strikes as well.”
More concerned about this strike than any other.
Dr. Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, stated, “During the last junior doctors’ strike, approximately 175,000 operations and appointments were postponed.”
This disruption might affect up to a quarter of a million patients nationwide, which is considerable.
She added, “What we’re hearing from our members who are health leaders throughout the entire system is that they are more concerned about this strike than any other.”
“They believe the impact will be so great that this one is likely to affect patient safety. Which is a major concern for every healthcare leader.”
