The NHS is bracing for what the country’s top doctor has warned will be ‘unparalleled levels of disruption’ as doctors stage their second round of strikes this year.
Last month, the NHS national medical director told patients that March’s industrial action would be the ‘biggest strike disruption to date’ as pickets lasted 72 hours. But this Easter weekend, the medical director issued a new statement saying the upcoming 92 hours of action will bring disruption to new heights.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis said he was “very concerned” about the potential severity of the impact on patients, with hospitals facing nearly 100 hours without up to half of their medical workforce. Up to a quarter of a million appointments and operations could be postponed when medics in England walk out in the bitter dispute over pay on Tuesday, straight after the Easter bank holiday weekend, the NHS Confederation said.
READ MORE: Junior doctor strikes to cause ‘unparalleled levels of disruption’ – NHS boss
The majority of hospitals in Greater Manchester will see pickets are, including:
Wigan Infirmary
Trafford General Hospital
Royal Bolton Hospital
Fairfield General
Royal Oldham Hospital
Manchester Royal Infirmary
Salford Royal
Tameside General
North Manchester General Hospital
Wythenshawe Hospital
Stepping Hill Hospital
Prestwich Hospital
The British Medical Association said the industrial action could still be avoided if the Government makes a “credible offer”, but the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has insisted the strikes must be called off before any negotiations take place. Professor Sir Stephen said: “This next round of strikes will see unparalleled levels of disruption, and we are very concerned about the potential severity of impact on patients and services across the country.
“This time the action immediately follows a four-day bank holiday weekend, which is already difficult as many staff are taking much-needed holiday, and it will be more extensive than ever before with hospitals facing nearly 100 hours without up to half of the NHS medical workforce.
He said the NHS would continue to prioritise emergency, critical and neonatal care, as well as maternity and trauma services, but inevitably hundreds of thousands of appointments, including in cancer care, would need to be postponed again. During the last round of strikes, 64,000 doctors were expected to stop working.
Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said the figure could be as much as 250,000 postponed appointments and operations and that health bosses were more concerned about the impact of this latest walkout than any other strike so far amid fears over patient safety.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “In the last junior doctors’ strike we saw about 175,000 appointments and operations having to be postponed.
“In terms of the disruption that we’re anticipating this time, we reckon it could be up to about a quarter of a million so that is a huge amount of impact for patients up and down the country.”
In an op-ed for the Sunday Telegraph, Health Secretary Steve Barclay said the decision from BMA leaders to maintain an “unrealistic position” for a 35 per cent pay increase demand has halted any progress with talks between the two parties. British Medical Association (BMA) representatives say that increase will restore pay to 2008/09 levels, before ‘15 years of pay erosion’ saw junior doctors lose more than 25 per cent of their pay in real terms
The disruption could last up to 10 or 11 days, with strike set between the Easter bank holiday and another weekend, she said. The four days of strikes will come immediately after the Easter bank holiday weekend.
They will run from 6.59am on Tuesday until 6.59am on Saturday April 15.
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