By Harry Mottram: A strike by junior doctors is seriously affecting day to day medical activity at Bath’s Royal United Hospital in Bath, the Great Western Hospital in Swindon and Salisbury District Hospital as five days of industrial begins today on 27 June.
The five-day walkout began at 7am on Thursday 27 June, 2024, and will continue until the same time on Tuesday 2 July. It follows the earlier industrial action by junior doctors in February when the National Health Service was rocked by strikes.
The current strike is over pay with the doctors wanting to see their wages increased by 35% compensate for the steady fall in salaries over the last 15 years – an issue that has been brought up during the General Election campaign. The Government is resisting the claim by the ‘doctors’ trade union’ the British Medical Association (BMA) saying it is too high.
BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said:
“We made clear to the Government that we would strike unless discussions ended in a credible pay offer. For more than 18 months we have been asking Rishi Sunak to put forward proposals to restore the pay junior doctors have lost over the past 15 years – equal to more than a quarter in real terms.
“When we entered mediation with Government this month we did so under the impression that we had a functioning government that would soon be making an offer. Clearly no offer is now forthcoming. Junior doctors are fed up and out of patience.
“Even at this late stage Mr Sunak has the opportunity to show that he cares about the NHS and its workers. It is finally time for him to make a concrete commitment to restore doctors’ pay. If during this campaign he makes such a public commitment that is acceptable to the BMA’s junior doctors committee, then no strikes need go ahead.”
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “The new strikes will result in more disruption for patients and extra pressure on NHS services and staff as we enter a busy winter period, risking patient safety.”
She also said it was disappointing the doctors were taking industrial action. Other health workers, including nurses, accepted a pay offer of an extra 5% and a one-off sum of at least £1,655, in May.
Healthcare leaders across the region are currently working to minimise disruption for patients during the strikes, and are now calling on members of the public to show the same level of support that was seen during previous rounds of industrial action.
Gill May, Chief Nurse, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said: “Although we are no longer in the depths of winter, all periods of prolonged industrial action within the NHS are real causes for concern, and this one especially so, due to it coinciding with this year’s Glastonbury.
“Our hospitals throughout the five-day walkout, as well as in the days immediately after, are expected to be extremely busy, with our teams doing their utmost to keep services running so that people requiring urgent care can get the help they desperately need.
“Local people can support us in achieving this difficult task by only visiting hospital or calling 999 in genuine, life-threatening emergencies and by seeking help for minor illnesses and injuries from the many other services that will be open as usual during the strikes.”
The RUH said: “While all GP practices in the region will remain open, some surgeries may be busier than usual, which is why people requiring help for issues that cannot wait should seek guidance from either a community pharmacy of the NHS 111 service. Both options can provide people with advice on symptoms, possible treatment options and, where appropriate, directions to other in-person NHS services. People can find details of their nearest pharmacy, including opening hours, via the Find a Pharmacy function on the NHS website at www.nhs.uk.
“Any person with a confirmed hospital appointment for any of the strike days will be contacted at the earliest opportunity if their consultation or procedure needs to be postponed. Those who are not contacted are asked to attend as usual and not to phone ahead to check the status of an appointment, as booking teams are likely to be very busy supporting those whose plans have had to be changed.”
Throughout any period of industrial action, people experiencing a life-threatening emergency, such as chest pains, severe bleeding or loss of consciousness, should not put off attending the nearest hospital or calling 999.
Further information about all local health and care services can be found on the ICB website at www.bsw.icb.nhs.uk.
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