Hospital chiefs in Bristol are bracing themselves for another potential wave of strikes this summer after admitting industrial action has forced them to freeze some waiting lists. University Hospitals Bristol & Weston NHS Trust (UHBW) bosses say they are maintaining services and keeping patients safe but that more people are waiting beyond two of the longer target time “pathways” of 78 weeks for general patients and 62 days for those with cancer.
They told a trust board meeting that appointment bookings for waiting lists that were deemed highly likely to be cancelled had been paused as a result of the strikes to avoid “distress” for patients, families and staff. The latest industrial action saw junior doctors walk out for 72 hours last week (June 14-17).
While some NHS unions have accepted the Government’s pay offer, which is now being implemented, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unite remain in dispute, although this is separate from junior doctors who are on a different contract. The RCN is currently re-balloting its members until Friday (June 23) to secure another strike action mandate, the Society of Radiographers is doing likewise until Wednesday, June 28, and the BMA is balloting consultants until Tuesday, June 27, and junior doctors for further action.
