It could take up to six weeks for NHS hospitals to get back to normal after junior doctors began their 96-hour strike, a senior doctor warned.
Her strike over a wage dispute with the government will end on Saturday morning, but the NHS could be affected much longer as patients can wait weeks for rescheduled appointments.
The government is under pressure to return to the negotiating table and end the strike.
Health Minister Steve Barclay said his “door is open” but junior doctors’ demands for a 35 percent pay rise were unfounded. Downing Street said it was beyond the reach of taxpayers.
The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents about 47,000 junior doctors, called on ministers for a “credible” proposal.
Dr Nick Scriven, a Yorkshire-based consultant and former president of the Emergency Medicine Society, said patients who needed emergency care at his hospital were still getting the treatment they needed on the first day of the strike, although it was delayed in some cases. Please.
However, after the strike ends, the situation will not return to normal, as the queues for operations increase, and it can take up to six weeks to recover, he said.
It is estimated that up to 350,000 appointments and operations during the four-day strike will be canceled and postponed. This strike takes place after the Easter holidays and during the school holidays when employees leave, and according to Professor Sir Stephen Powys, National Medical Director of the National Health Service of England, it will be “the most destructive in the history of the NHS”.
He said time radio that the disruption of the strike would “undoubtedly last for several weeks”.
“We have asked hospitals to reschedule appointments as soon as possible, but this will result in unprecedented disruptions, so it will take time.”
Dr. Scriven said I: “If we take into account the state in which the National Health Service was before [strike]It doesn’t add much damage to the poignant ending, it slows things down… I can tell by the cancellation of the election that this is a problem.
“Waiting lists for electronics have never been reduced, but will increase again with the work week or part of the work week. [due to the strike].
“Return to normal life immediately will not work. Things won’t go back to normal all of a sudden at 8am Saturday. Electives may [take] a month, a month and a half to get back to where they were last week, it might take a week or so before the emergency rooms are a bit empty.
Dr. Scriven said I that this hospital was well prepared for the strike, the doctors canceled their holidays or gave up administrative work to take over the clinical work in the wards.
While his hospital is currently coping, he agreed that the worst is yet to come.
“If this works, I think by the end of the next three days, the elderly will be very tired, and the situation may slow down as the hospital fills up even more.
“They are still taken care of, maybe they [to wait a bit longer].
“And if people don’t need emergency care, they can [use] 111, general practitioners, pharmacists. But if they need emergency care, emergency care definitely still exists.”
Dr. Naru Narayanan, President of the Association of Hospital Consultants and Specialists, said: “Regular and senior physicians are working together on this, and the senior physicians are doing an excellent job of ensuring that emergency and intensive care continues.
“During the strike period, we are meeting with NHS leaders several times a day to ensure that all parties are aware of the situation in the hospitals and that staff remain safe.”
Dr. Narayanan added: “We deeply regret the disruption of electoral work and sympathize with all those affected. Doctors don’t want to strike, they want to take care of their patients. But the government ignored years of warnings. If we don’t solve this staffing crisis now with payroll, the NHS will not care for patients in the future.”
Speaking at a rally in London’s Trafalgar Square on the first day of the strike, Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the BMA’s Committee of Junior Physicians, said: “Alumni (physicians) are leaving with over £80,000 in debt.
“You go across the country with little or no choice, away from your families, away from your friends. You can’t plan ahead.
“You work weekends, work nights, work holidays and miss birthdays, weddings and funerals as a result.
“You work hard. You work harder, and the government wants you to work less. Our strike today is not an act of selfishness, but an act of self-respect.”
Commenting on the BMA’s wage requirement, Mr Barclay said there is a balance between “the broader problems of the economy and lower inflation, along with acknowledging the very real pressure that the NHS and young doctors are under, not least because of the pandemic.” “. .
“We want to reach a fair and reasonable settlement with young doctors – we recognize the critical role they play in the NHS.”
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.