For the first time in the history of England’s National Health Service (NHS), consultants and junior doctors have united to stage a joint strike. This unprecedented incident began with the consultants leaving their posts at 07:00 BST, soon to be joined by the junior doctors come Wednesday morning.
The British Medical Association has orchestrated the strike, which will witness the consultants protesting for two days, while the junior doctors continue for a third day. Although emergency care is expected to remain unaffected during this period, NHS executives have expressed concerns over potential risks to the patients’ well-being.
This industrial action represents a significant escalation in the ongoing pay dispute between the government and doctors. Patients requiring emergency care are being advised to utilize accident-and-emergency units or to dial 999. However, services for non-emergency concerns could face disruption due to the strike.
The impact of the strike will likely extend towards routine services, including non-emergency operations and appointments, causing significant interruptions. Patients can expect to have been informed about any postponements in advance.
During the course of the 48-hour strike, consultants are slated to provide minimum care comparable to that during Christmas holidays – ensuring that emergency services remain staffed and some level of base cover on wards is maintained.
Junior doctors, accounting for nearly half of the NHS workforce, ranging from recent university graduates to those with up to 10 years of experience, are set to follow a similar arrangement when joining the protests on Wednesday. Once the consultants conclude their strike on Thursday, the junior doctors will stage a full strike, necessitating the drafting of consultants to fill the void.
NHS England medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, expressed his concern, noting that the NHS had never previously faced such extensive industrial action, posing a significant challenge. His worries were echoed by Matthew Taylor of the NHS Confederation, who believes the government may be underestimating the risk of the situation.
The walkouts have been met with widespread disruption and postponements, with nearly a million appointments and treatments, including some cancer treatments, being delayed since December due to the strikes.
This industrial action has also served to widen the gap between health officials and the BMA. It’s been over 100 days since the health secretary had negotiations with BMA leaders regarding pay, with none scheduled for the future. Meanwhile, consultants have received a 6% pay increase while junior doctors received an average 8.8% raise depending on their level. Despite this, the doctors argue for a pay rise that would match and exceed inflation, to compensate for years of effectively stagnant wages.
Responding to the situation, BMA leader Dr Phillip Banfield stated that if the government truly cared about patients, it would “reopen talks and come to the table with a credible offer”.
