Up to one in three surgeries will be canceled in hospitals across England this week as patients suffer New Year’s pain due to strikes by trainee doctors.
The longest labor dispute in NHS history begins at 7am on Wednesday as tens of thousands of health workers begin a six-day strike over an ongoing pay dispute with the government. More than 170,000 appointments and operations are expected to be rescheduled, increasing the backlog on the waiting list due to the growing winter pressure.
Trusts will start a crucial 2024 for the NHS by contacting patients and asking them not to come in for elective surgery. Many people are only told about this the day before surgery.
A three-day strike by junior doctors in December led to 86,000 appointments being cancelled, and hospital bosses expect that number to double this week.
Thousands of cancer patients are among those who will face further treatment delays. More than 2,000 people had important hospital appointments canceled on at least three occasions last year – even before the widespread disruption to the NHS caused by strikes.
Professor Joe Harrison, chief executive of Milton Keynes University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the trust was expected to cancel about a third of its planned operations during the strikes. He said: “We are obviously concerned because the beginning of January is always one of the busiest times of the year.”
The waiting list for elective NHS treatment in England fell last month to 7.71 million for the first time this year, from a record 7.77 million procedures at the end of last month, but ongoing strikes will make further declines even more difficult.
The strikes are likely to make it impossible to deliver on Rishi Sunak’s pledge to cut NHS waiting lists, with the state of the NHS expected to play a central role in the general election expected to take place in the autumn.
Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: I: “Trust leaders are doing everything they can to reduce waiting times for operations and scans, but more than 1.2 million appointments in hospitals, mental health and community services have been delayed due to strikes, and patients are paying a heavy price.”
“The number of deferred appointments is likely to increase significantly as junior doctors embark on their longest strike ever in the coming days. This six-day strike will increase pressure on the health service and will result in thousands of additional patients facing disruption at the busiest time of year for the NHS.”
In the 12-month period ending March 2023, 33,403 people who had their first appointment on their cancer journey had one cancellation. Of these, 4,496 trips were canceled twice and 2,095 trips were rescheduled three or more times, according to trust data from Freedom of Information requests. About 40 per cent of trusts responded. Sunday Times said they canceled appointments at least four times.
Chiara De Biase, director of support and advocacy for Prostate Cancer UK, said: I: “Prostate cancer treatment and clinical workload are under enormous pressure, and the pandemic has placed enormous pressure on already stretched services.
“While we never want NHS services to be disrupted and men to suffer more beyond a cancer diagnosis, it is vital that doctors who provide vital care are properly valued. We hope the government will act quickly to attract strikers and ensure that their wages and working conditions are consistent with the purpose of their work.
“It is clear that we need a comprehensive cancer strategy to tackle what has become a systemic workforce problem in the UK, so that men can get the care and support they need now and in the future.”
The British Medical Association (BMA) is advocating for wages to be returned to 2008/2009 levels, which would represent a 35.3 per cent increase in wages. Negotiations collapsed in December when the union said the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) had not made a “credible offer” to end the pay dispute.
Dr Rob Lawrenson, co-chair of the BMA’s Young Doctors Committee, said: “No doctor wants to go on strike and we call on the Government to return to the table and present the credible offer we are making to our members to stop this.” More strikes. However, if sufficient progress is not made, we will have to consider further strikes within our mandate.
“The government must stop the strikes, stop time and money being wasted and prevent further disruption to patient care.”
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, the health service member organization for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said the strike would leave many trusts in a precarious position.
“Many trusts will have limited membership and will be in a very vulnerable position,” he said. “Many members of the NHS will be skating on very thin ice as this is one of the toughest weeks of the year, if not the toughest.”
A DHSC spokesman said: “We know how painful this is for patients whose appointments and procedures have been cancelled, and we have committed £800 million to ensure patients continue to receive the best care this winter.”
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.