The NHS is braced for the longest strike in its 75-year historical past with junior docs set to walkout this week amid a “stand off” with the Tories.
The industrial motion lasting six days is deliberate to start at 7am on Wednesday till 7am on 9 January – amounting to 144 consecutive hours. NHS England’s medical director warned the well being service could need to cope with “one of the most difficult starts to the year” it has ever confronted.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis stated: “Six consecutive days of industrial action comes at one of our busiest periods – the action will not only have an enormous impact on planned care, but comes on top of a host of seasonal pressures such as Covid, flu, and staff absences due to sickness – all of which is impacting on how patients flow through hospitals.
“Our colleagues throughout the well being service are doing their highest for sufferers every single day with in depth preparations in place, however there is no doubt they’re beginning 2024 on the again foot – not solely will motion affect subsequent week, it’ll proceed to have a severe affect within the weeks after as we get better providers and cope with extra demand.”
On Monday the NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor suggested hopes of the strike being called were fading. He told BBC News: “Unfortunately, I believe this can be very unlikely there can be a decision.
“Unfortunately, it feels like there is a stand-off, which is the Government is refusing to enter negotiations unless the junior doctors call off the strike action and the junior doctors are refusing to call off strike action unless the Government commits to investing more money – and that is a pity. These days are going to be very damaging to us.”
Mr Taylor added: “Even at this late stage, an intervention could make a difference. It would be important but we will be working on the basis that these strikes – the longest strikes we have ever seen in the NHS – will be starting the day after tomorrow.”
Junior docs, who’re members of the British Medical Association, final took strike motion simply earlier than Christmas as they walked out over three days between 20 and 23 December. The BMA argues that whereas workload and ready lists are at file highs, their members’ pay has slumped 26% in 15 years.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman stated: “We urge the BMA junior doctors Committee to call off their strikes and come back to the negotiating table so we can find a fair and reasonable solution, and so we can all get back to focusing on patients and their care.
“We understand how distressing it’s for sufferers who’ve had appointments and procedures cancelled, and we have now supplied £800 million to make sure sufferers proceed to obtain the very best high quality care this winter and ease strain on hospitals impacted by industrial motion. NHS workers are working exhausting to prioritise assets to guard emergency therapy, crucial care, neonatal care, maternity, and trauma, and to make sure we prioritise sufferers who’ve waited the longest for elective care and most cancers surgical procedure.”