NHS leaders have warned that the 72-hour strike by young doctors across England could be the health sector’s worst as hospitals continue to delay tens of thousands of surgeries and appointments today.
Unlike previous strikes by nurses and paramedics during the winter, there are no exceptions for medical students who unionize, meaning emergency care and cancer treatment for children and adults will be affected.
More than 47,600 young doctors in England were eligible to vote in the British Medical Association, with 98 percent voting in favor of the strike. However, thousands more non-BMA junior doctors are expected to leave their colleagues by 7:00 a.m. Thursday to maximize disruption.
Nearly 200,000 surgeries and non-emergency appointments are expected to be canceled this week due to strikes due to the impact of earlier junior doctors union action. The health service is already grappling with record waiting lists, with 7.21 million people waiting for treatment and half of cancer patients waiting longer than the two-month target to start treatment, meaning strikes will increase.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the overall impact of the three-day young doctors’ strike could be “worse” than previous health strikes. He said the hospitals are “managing” the situation for now because we have weeks to plan for it.
But he also warned that, unlike previous union action, there were no anomalies here, and would-be doctors were not required to notify employers of their intention to strike.
Mr Taylor previously said that “the public is using healthcare services as usual, which means some of our emergency routes are very busy.” He said it was important to “not let this become something that happens on a regular basis.”
Professor Stephen Powys, Medical Director of NHS England, said there would be “major disruptions” to the health system in the next three days.
He said: “This will probably be the most devastating series of union days we have seen all winter. Why? Well, it’s three days instead of one day, these are trainee doctors who make up the majority of the medical staff and, of course, work in many medical institutions, not only in hospitals, but also in general practice, in psychiatric institutions and, of course, in community settings – and therefore it is likely that we will see this widespread violation.
“We have focused on providing service to emergency departments, emergency departments, intensive care units and maternity hospitals, but unfortunately this comes at the expense of other services such as scheduled appointments and some surgeries.”
Prof Powys said the strikes were likely to affect cancer treatment, saying the NHS is “doing everything it can to provide urgent cancer treatment but unfortunately some of them may be affected this week, an upset so severe that we we will probably see.
The main goal of the BMA is to restore wages, with the union saying that since 2008 the salary of trainee doctors has been reduced by 26.1 percent. Achieving this goal would require a 35.3 percent increase in wages, which ministers say is unrealistic.
Health Minister Steve Barclay said such requirements would cost taxpayers an additional £2bn and jeopardize the government’s efforts to curb inflation. He also said that refusing to continue working in services such as emergency, pediatric and oncology care during the break should create “harsh ethical dilemmas for our hard-working junior doctors.”
The BMA is bracing for a protracted row after saying it is ready to recall its members for further action when their strike mandate expires in August.
Associate Physicians (a term used by anyone in clinical training) typically earn just over £29,000 in their first year of undergraduate study. Experienced young doctors usually earn between £50,000 and £60,000 a year, but many struggle for years to pay off huge debts accumulated after five years of medical training.
Hamish Bain, 29, a neurology intern at University College London Hospitals, said his low salary forced him to stay with his parents.
“I live at home after 11 years of study and training. I love my parents, but I wouldn’t do it if I had money,” he said on Monday, standing on the picket line.
The BMA called on Mr. Barclay to cancel its terms, which it says are responsible for the failure of either party to reach an agreement to end the dispute. The health minister said the government was “ready” to negotiate, but only if a number of conditions were agreed. This includes the government wanting to continue discussing future wages and limit talk of a 15-year wage cut to a one-time bonus payment.
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.