The NHS faces “one of the toughest starts to the year ever” as trainee doctors go on the longest strike yet, the country’s top doctor warned last night.
Around one in three businesses in England will be canceled this week to ease the six-day strike which starts tomorrow in what would normally be the busiest week of the year.
But officials have warned that it will have a serious impact in the coming weeks as the health service struggles to cope with added pressure from flu, Covid and staff illnesses.
Almost 86,000 appointments were canceled during three days of industrial action in December, with experts estimating that twice as many will be affected this week.
Thousands of cancer patients and expectant mothers needing a planned but urgent C-section are among health experts who have warned it could be harmful. Junior doctors are on strike from 7am tomorrow until 7am next Tuesday (January 9) – the longest consecutive strike in the history of the NHS.
Striking junior doctors and consultants organized by the BMA are joined by members of the UNITE union who are striking against the East London NHS Foundation Trust for higher pay. On 20 September 2023, members of both unions marched around the Royal London Hospital
Around one in three businesses in England will be canceled this week to ease the six-day strike that starts tomorrow in what is usually the busiest week of the year (file photo).
Sir Stephen Powis, the medical director of NHS England, said extensive preparations had been made but could only go as far as a peak in winter illnesses was expected after the Christmas and New Year celebrations. He added: “This January could be one of the toughest starts to the year the NHS has ever faced.”
“Six consecutive days of industrial action come during one of our busiest times – the action will not only have a major impact on planned care, but comes on top of a host of seasonal pressures such as Covid, flu and staff sickness absence.” of this has an impact on the way patients flow through hospitals.
“Our healthcare colleagues are doing everything they can for patients with extensive preparations every day, but there is no doubt that they will begin to suffer in 2024.” The measure will not only have an impact next week, but will have a serious impact in the weeks to come.” Figures released last month showed more than 1.2 million jobs had been delayed due to strikes so far in the past 13 months.
The British Medical Association (BMA) trade union is calling for a 35 per cent pay rise for junior doctors, which it says will bring real wages back to 2008 levels.
BMA junior doctors on a picket line outside University College London Hospital as they begin three days of strike action in a long-running dispute over pay on December 20, 2023 in London
Young doctors take part in their picket line at UCLH in Euston in London on 20 December 2023
But the government says it is unaffordable and is offering an additional 3 per cent increase on top of an average increase of 8.8 per cent for 2023-2024.
The NHS Association, which represents healthcare organisations, said the fight meant “patient safety will again be at risk”.
It said the timing of the 144-hour outages would put hospitals, GPs and other services in a “very vulnerable position”.
Chief executive Matthew Taylor said: “Parts of the NHS will be skating on very thin ice and they will need the BMA to support any recall requests for junior doctors as services come under extreme pressure.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We are calling on the BMA Junior Doctors Committee to call off their strikes and return to the negotiating table so that we can find a fair and sensible solution and we all can go back to work. “about patients and their care.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
