The British Medical Association (BMA) on Tuesday withdrew young doctors’ permission to leave a picket line in Somerset and accused the hospital of misleading the union about staff numbers.
Under the strike plans, hospital leaders may ask doctors to return to work for limited hours under certain circumstances “to ensure the safe care of patients.”
As part of the residents’ strike, the BMA on Tuesday and Wednesday approved an exemption or waiver for the emergency and emergency department at Weston General Hospital.
This meant that seven junior doctors were able to return to work to help non-striking colleagues after the hospital was hit by what the BMA called “bad planning by local management.”
The union stated: “Protecting the safety of patients during strikes has always been a priority for the BMA.”
However, after the exemption granted by Weston General was withdrawn, the BMA stated: “It has become clear that both the BMA and NHS England have been misled about the level of staff coverage. Either the local leadership did not know that they had adequate leadership, or they deliberately misled us.”
The BMA added that it intends to launch a formal investigation: “We will be asking the NHSE [NHS England] to investigate possible integrity issues.
“We have granted an exception in good faith, and it is incredibly disappointing that it is being abused in this way. Thanks to our consultant and SAS [speciality] Colleagues for their hard work covering the strikes.”
Professor Eugene Yaffele, Executive Director of the University Hospitals Bristol & Weston NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said: “Patient safety is our top priority. When applying for an exemption, we provided information requested by the BMA that accurately reflects our concerns about the risk to patient safety in a rapidly changing environment. These concerns were echoed by advisers who offered cover.
“As part of our established strike schedule, we have considered all options to ensure adequate coverage of essential services throughout the week and respond to unplanned absences on a daily basis.
“In addition, we are very grateful to the colleagues who provided medical supplies, which helped us to have adequate staff without having to end up relying on anomalies.”
Some foundations have canceled all employee layoffs to try to fill gaps in the lists left by young doctors whose 96-hour strike will last until 7 a.m. Saturday. Others have asked vacation counselors if they can volunteer to become managers to make sure the emergency room doesn’t put patients at risk.
Dr Nick Scriven, consultant emergency medicine based in Yorkshire, explained: I He would be “extremely surprised” if the ER ceased union action “as the impact on the ER at this location would be incredible and would affect the surrounding divisions.”
He said: “As far as I know, there was no support. [among consultants] for our colleagues. Of course, we all hope for a solution, but we support their position and urge the government to come up with an acceptable proposal. Consultants, staff physicians and allied professionals prioritize patient care over other work responsibilities to ensure maximum safety.
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.