Trainee doctors will stage a 96-hour strike in April as part of a longstanding wage dispute with the government.
Members of the British Medical Association (BMA) organized their first major strike in March, along with other NHS workers such as nurses and ambulances, to go on strike.
The union announced on Thursday March 23 that it would go on strike again, blaming the government for not making a “credible offer” – that’s when strikes happen.
When will trainee doctors go on strike in April 2023?
The 96-hour strike of young doctors continues Tuesday, April 11, 7:00 am. before Saturday, April 15, 7:00 am.
More than 250,000 visits and operations are expected to be canceled during the strike.
On the same days, trainee doctors of the Association of Hospital Consultants and Specialists (HCSA) are on strike. The union, which represents about 600 junior doctors, has accused the government of refusing to renege on terms negotiated to settle the dispute.
The last strike of medical workers took place from Monday, March 13, to Thursday, March 16.
Nearly 37,000 of the 47,692 voting members of the BMA voted in favor of the strike, with 98 percent voting in favor of the strike.
Why are young doctors on strike?
Trainee doctors are campaigning for pay increases after saying their real wages have been cut by 26.1 percent since 2008, requiring a 35.3 percent pay increase.
The BMA said Health Secretary Steve Barclay did not make a “credible offer” and accused the government of not taking the controversy seriously.
Dr. Vivek Trivedi and Dr. Robert Lorenson, co-chair of the BMA Young Doctors Committee, said: “It is with disappointment and great disappointment that we have to announce this new union action.
“The government took every opportunity. She did not make a credible offer and refuses to admit that there is any justification for the return of wages, calling our key demand “unrealistic” and “unreasonable”.
They added: “Therefore, we are not sure that these negotiations can be successful without further action. This situation is entirely caused by the government itself. We want to spend time caring for patients, not go on strike.”
Saffron Corderi, deputy director of NHS Providers, said: “The prospect of a 96-hour strike by junior doctors will alarm trust leaders across the country.
“This will happen just after the four-day bank holiday weekend, which means that demand will pick up before the strike starts on April 11th. There are no exceptions either.
“It threatens the biggest disruption of the National Health Service strikes. There should be no doubt about the magnitude of the impact on patients, staff and the NHS. Nobody wants that.”
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services said: “Further strikes will jeopardize patient safety and cause further disruption.
“Yesterday, the Secretary of State for Health and Human Services met with the BMA Residents Committee in the hope of constructive discussions to resolve the current dispute. The BMA made these negotiations a condition of a 35 percent pay increase. It’s unreasonable.”
Additional report from the Press Association
Source: I News
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