UPCOMING resident doctor strikes are set to ‘significantly impact’ the NHS across Worcestershire over the next few days.
A five-day strike starting on Friday (July 25) was announced by the British Medical Association following an ongoing row over pay and conditions.
The resident doctors committee feel Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s letter to them did not go far enough to warrant calling off strikes, lacking any substantive proposal on both pay and non-pay elements.
Residents doctors met on Tuesday (July 22) and agreed there was no choice other than to continue with planned action.
BMA resident doctors committee co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said: “We have always said that no doctor wants to strike and all it would take to avoid it is a credible path to pay restoration offered by the Government. We came to talks in good faith, keen to explore real solutions to the problems facing resident doctors today.
“Unfortunately, we did not receive an offer that would meet the scale of those challenges. While we were happy to discuss non-pay issues that affect doctors’ finances we have always been upfront that this is at its core a pay dispute.
“What we need to see are some ways forward, some kind of positive approach to get us out of this dispute. At present it looks as if these talks have not seen such a breakthrough and so regrettably, strikes must now proceed.”
Following the news, NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire have shared a statement to ease patients’ concerns regarding impacts to services as a result of the strikes.
NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire’s chief medical officer Dr Will Taylor said: “We are working closely with our partners to make sure patients can access the care they need, in a safe environment, during industrial action.”
Chief’s at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust have said despite the ‘enormous amount of hard work’ being done to combat the impacts, the local health service is expecting ‘increased pressure’.
As a result of impacts, emergency departments will be prioritising patients with life or limb threatening injury or illness – focusing on those most in need.
Patients whose condition is less serious may be asked to seek treatment elsewhere or face an extremely long wait.
Dr Jules Walton, chief medical officer at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said local people can play their part to help reduce pressures by only using 999 or A&E for genuine life-threatening emergencies.
Those with medical appointments are still directed to attend as normal. Patients will be contacted directly if their appointment needs to be rearranged, otherwise attend as usual.
Healthcare leaders across the two counties are asking local people to think carefully about the services they use during the period and to be proactive to avoid preventable illness to ensure emergency services are there for those who need them.
NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year online at 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111 for any urgent but not life-threatening medical needs.
Trained advisers can direct people to the best possible care for their needs, including arranging an out-of-hours GP appointment or an appointment time to attend A&E or a Minor Injury Unit.
