Junior doctors on strike at Weston General Hospital were allowed to leave the picket line after concerns that short-staffing would "risk patient safety". The British Medical Association (BMA) has since revoked the 'derogation', however, after the hospital secured sufficient cover.
The BMA reported yesterday evening (Tuesday) that it had agreed for seven junior doctors to return to work there, claiming "poor planning by local management" had left the hospital "exposed". Under strike contingency plans, hospital leaders can request for doctors to return to work for a limited time in certain circumstances “to maintain safe patient care”, under a process called derogation.
In an update this afternoon, the union confirmed it had revoked the derogation granted to Weston General. It added that it felt it had been "misled over the level of staffing cover", or else "local management were unaware they had sufficient senior cover".
