The Prime Minister has backed NHS chiefs after more than 20 hospitals called on junior doctors to leave the picket line and return to work over fears for patient safety.
Hospitals asked striking doctors to return to work over safety concerns on the first day of a six-day strike. But most of the applications were rejected by the British Medical Association (BMA), which claims hospital bosses did not exhaust all other options before granting them.
Rishi Sunak said NHS bosses had his “support” and told broadcasters in Nottinghamshire: “The NHS has a responsibility for patient care and it is right that it does absolutely everything it can to ensure patients are looked after.” They cause great concern among people.
“It is absolutely right that NHS leaders make local clinical decisions entirely independently of the government. And ask for additional support where they feel they need it. Of course they have my support.”
Hospital bosses have appealed as they faced “extreme pressure” during the longest strike in NHS history. The BMA criticized NHS officials for failing to get the claims right and putting the union in an “impossible” situation.
As part of the agreed process, trusts are expected to demonstrate that they have exhausted all other human resources before calling trainee doctors back into work. This can be achieved by canceling scheduled but non-urgent treatment and postponing urgent cases until a few days before or after the strike. You can also encourage non-strike employees to work on strike days.
The BMA said that while the process had worked well in all previous rounds of industrial action, NHS England and some of the trusts that applied for the changes were now refusing to provide evidence that they had taken these steps.
In a letter to NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard on Wednesday evening, BMA council leader Professor Philip Banfield wrote: “This refusal to provide the information needed to make informed decisions fundamentally undermines the release process as we are asked to make decisions about our decisions. “The right of members to strike without the necessary information. It appears that NHS England is deliberately putting the BMA in a no-win situation.
Prof Banfield accused NHS chiefs of bowing to political pressure over the recall, which he said would undermine the strike and force the BMA to reject an increasing number of claims.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, rejected the BMA’s claim that hospitals were abusing the system by sacking striking doctors.
He told LBC: “We see no evidence at all that NHS trusts are returning junior doctors to light work.”
An NHS England spokeswoman said: “The NHS has a strict process for applying for BMA deviations to ensure we prioritize the safety of our patients. This includes providing compelling evidence of where the most stressed systems need support.”
“Nationally, we will continue to support local medical directors and other doctors as they work hard to provide the safest possible service to patients. Given that this period of industrial action coincides with the most difficult time of year for the NHS, senior medical leaders are expected to seek concessions from their colleagues to ensure safe levels of cover.”
Services across England said they were facing “significant demand” just hours after trainee doctors began a six-day strike on Wednesday.
Hospitals in Portsmouth and Nottingham reported critical incidents as their wards and emergency departments were “crowded”. Other hospitals reported “extremely high pressure” and “exceptional workload”, with one hospital reporting maximum wait times in its emergency department of more than 16 hours.
Taylor said the situation was likely to worsen over the weekend. “NHS trusts are working hard to prepare for these strikes, which come during one of the busiest weeks of the year for the health service,” he said.
“They are facing a rise in winter virus numbers due to labor disputes and higher than expected staff shortages. A number of trusts have already reported critical incidents and pressure is likely to increase as the strike continues this week.
“Rather than blaming hospital managers for failing to fully provide the BMA with the information it needs, the aim is to limit the valuable time they and their teams spend filling out forms when patient safety is at risk.”
Mr Sunak has called on trainee doctors to end their strike amid intense pressure on the health system.
He said: “I come from an NHS family. So I know how important this is. And why we have made this a priority since I became Prime Minister. Anyone who needs urgent help should contact the health service as usual. However, special attention is paid to the damage these strikes cause.
“At this time, all other NHS staff have reached a reasonable and fair deal with the government, including nurses, midwives, paramedics, consultants, doctors and specialists. “Right now it’s only trainee doctors who are on strike and I urge them to come to the table so we can resolve the issue and put an end to this disruption and the impact it is having on more and more people across the country.”
The BMA said junior doctors’ salaries have been cut by more than a quarter since 2008. Last summer the government increased the pay of junior doctors in England by an average of 8.8 percent, but doctors said the increase was not enough and stepped up their strike action.
The government and doctors began training late last year, but negotiations broke down after five weeks and more strikes began.
Colleagues will be joined on the picket line by junior doctors from the Association of Hospital Consultants and Specialists. Consultant and SAS [specialty and specialist grade] Doctors have agreed with the government on an agreement which will be presented to BMA members.
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.