Fresh strikes by trainee doctors pose a “dramatic risk” to patients, health leaders warn, as part of longest strike in NHS history

Junior doctors’ strikes planned for January pose a “dramatic risk” to patients, health leaders say.

Danny Mortimer, CEO of NHS Employers, has warned that the hospital workforce seen during this week’s industrial action will not be “sustainable” next month.

He said “most teams are dreading” the first week of January, as it is typically the toughest week of the year and services are “already in high demand”.

Junior doctors are currently on the third day of a 72-hour strike and will return to work tomorrow before striking for a further six days from January 3 – the longest strike in the history of the NHS.

In a letter to Professor Philip Banfield, chairman of the board of the British Medical Association, Mr Mortimer called on the union to grant more exemptions when doctors can cross lines to help.

He wrote: “Your joint letter with NHS England makes it clear that in the context of December’s action the process of staff redundancies and departures remains largely the same as previous strikes.”

“This agreement is not sustainable in January.”

“In previous periods of industrial action carried out solely by your junior doctors, the core tasks normally carried out by striking junior doctors were undertaken by other medical colleagues and members of the wider team.”

“This position is untenable in January.”

Mr Mortimer’s letter continued: “I am aware that there are numerous examples of our colleagues failing to do their best for their patients, but the first half of January is one of the times when this risk increases dramatically.” I want the BMA leadership not to worsen this situation further during strike action in January.”

Professor Banfield said the BMA was “strongly committed to ensuring patient safety during strikes”.

Junior doctors are currently on the third day of a 72-hour strike and will return to work tomorrow before striking again for six days from January 3.

Health Minister Victoria Atkins told BBC Radio 4’s Today program yesterday: “Consultants, nurses and other doctors who are not on strike are coming in today and yesterday and will continue to do so, putting in extra shifts to to ensure that this level is reached. guaranteed. The Young Medical Committee is expected to pick up the slack from its strikes.”

She suggested that ministers and officials from the Department of Health and Social Care should “come back to the table in 20 minutes for talks” if the strikes were called off.

She added that “many” doctors “will feel deeply uncomfortable that their committee has called for these strikes at this time.”

She said: “I would encourage anyone who feels this way to consider carefully whether this committee really represents their position.”

The BMA is calling for remuneration for trainee doctors, which the government says will rise by 35 per cent and is “unaffordable”.

Health Minister Victoria Atkins said consultants, nurses and other doctors who are not on strike are expected to pick up the slack.

Nurses, physiotherapists and paramedics called off strikes over pay deals, but trainee doctors rejected the government’s offer of a three per cent rise above the average pay rise of 8.8 per cent in 2023-2024.

An NHS trust director told The Guardian that the pay dispute had “fractured” relationships between doctors and trainee consultants, as they felt the disruption had gone on for too long and trainees had “not had much to complain about”.

Dr. Robert Laurenson and Dr. Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the BMA’s Young Doctors Committee, said: “During negotiations with the government we had a mutually agreed deadline by which they had to make a credible offer.”

“That deadline has expired and we are therefore forced to strike.” We have not avoided negotiations and are always ready to speak with Ms Atkins.

“It is the government’s insistence on not talking while strikes are being planned that is blocking progress and wasting unnecessary time.”