Young doctors across England are currently on a four-day strike as a wage dispute between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government continues.
Union members staged their first strike in March, organizing a strike alongside other NHS workers, including nurses and ambulances.
The strike is expected to cancel about 350,000 appointments this week, including surgeries.
Thousands of young doctors have joined pickets across the country to protest the payment of salaries, but the government has called their demands “unfounded.”
When does the strike of trainee doctors end?
The strike started at Tuesday, April 11, 7:00 am. and works until Saturday, April 15, 7:00 am.
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.
Paramedics, members of the Association of Hospital Physicians and Specialists, are on strike on the same days. The union, which represents about 600 junior doctors, has accused the government of refusing to renege on terms negotiated to settle the dispute.
No further strikes are planned at this time, but additional dates may be announced if the dispute remains unresolved. Trade unions must announce a strike at least two weeks in advance.
How will this affect the NHS?
Senior health experts have warned that patients face 10 days of “suffering and disruption” as a result of the strikes.
Consultants said the action’s impact will be felt much longer as it takes place after the Easter holidays and ends next weekend.
Dr. Nick Scriven, a Yorkshire consultant and former president of the Society for Emergency Medicine, told me: I: “It will be a real problem to keep the flow in hospitals, because in fact with a holiday, a strike, and then a weekend, there will be 10 days in a row with fewer staff.
“As far as I know, consultants are ready and willing to collectively roll up their sleeves again, but there remains the risk of fatigue to be taken into account in the rush to catch up on missed meetings and operations.” again in progress.
“The service will expand, but a lot depends on whether and how much [operations] canceled and when those consultants are released to help out in departments to help out the rest of the leadership team.”
The Minister of Health advised: “People should go to appointments unless the NHS says otherwise, continue to call 999 for life-threatening emergencies and use NHS 111 online services for non-urgent medical needs.”
The head of the NHS Confederation, Matthew Taylor, said on Monday: “We are telling the public that if you have a medical emergency, you should of course call 999, but if you are concerned that there is 111, there is an NHS website – try to use The NHS is as responsible as you can be.
“And I also have to say this: try to avoid risky behavior as the NHS will not be able to provide the level of care that we aim to provide.”
A BMA spokesperson said there is a safety net in place to manage the risks to patients associated with the young doctors’ strike.
Dr Sumi Manirajan, deputy co-chair of the BMA junior physicians committee, told Sky News: “We have implemented a system in NHS England that allows them to tell us four times a day if there are problems. “.
She added: “We had this system during the 72-hour strikes where they could communicate with us and there was not a single security issue. We have this safety net, but we know our colleagues – our Senior SAS [specialist, associate specialist and specialty] Physicians and consultants – these other qualified physicians can safely provide care.”
Why are young doctors on strike?
Doctors in a training campaign for the return of wages. The BMA said its 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 was unable to make a “credible offer”. She accused the government of not taking the dispute seriously.
Dr. Vivek Trivedi and Dr. Robert Lorenson, Co-Chair of the BMA Junior Physicians 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”.
“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.”
The health minister called the strikes “extremely disappointing” and said the BMA’s wage demands were inadequate.
“The strikes not only endanger patient safety, they are planned for maximum disruption to work after the Easter break,” he said over the weekend.
“I had hoped to start formal salary talks with the BMA last month but asking for a 35% pay raise is unreasonable – some young doctors will get more than £20,000 in pay raises as a result.
“If the BMA wants to move significantly away from this position and cancel the strikes, we can resume confidential negotiations and find a way forward, as we have done with other unions.”
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.