Doctors vote to go ahead with five-day strike in England this week
This week’s five-day doctors’ strike in England will continue after members of the British Medical Association voted to continue the planned strike despite a new offer from the government.
The junior doctors’ strike, the new name for junior doctors, will start at 07:00 on Wednesday and ministers will warn that patients will be at risk due to huge pressures on hospitals struggling with the flu wave.
In an online poll conducted over the weekend, 83 percent voted to continue the strike.
The BMA agreed to take part in the survey early last week after the government came forward with a new deal that includes increasing specialist training posts and covering out-of-pocket costs such as exam fees.
But it did not contain any mention of pay – with Health Secretary Wes Streeting suggesting he would not negotiate on the issue after junior doctors’ pay had risen by nearly 30% in the past three years.
The union argues that despite the salary increases, junior doctors’ salaries are still a fifth lower than in 2008 when inflation is taken into account.
This will be the 14th strike in the long-running dispute, which began in March 2023.
Physician assistants, who represent nearly half of the medical workforce, will be withdrawn from both urgent and non-urgent care. Senior doctors will be deployed to provide cover.
Last week Streeting warned that the NHS was under the greatest pressure since Covid.
Data showed that the number of flu patients in hospital increased by more than 50% in a week, topping 2,600 in the first week of December; Officials warned that there was no sign yet that the number had reached its peak.
The flu has arrived early this winter, and it looks set to be a particularly bad season.
The circulating strain is H3N2, which tends to cause more severe disease and has mutated somewhat amid fears that people may have less immunity.
BMA junior doctor leader Dr. Jack Fletcher said the “vocal response” should leave the health secretary in no doubt how badly he had missed the opportunity to end industrial action.
“Tens of thousands of front-line doctors came together to say ‘no’ to what was clearly too little, too late,” he added.
He said any solution must address the issue of payment.
But he added that the union was “committed to ensuring patient safety” and would be in close contact with NHS England throughout the strike to address any concerns raised.
Rory Deighton, of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals, said: “It is hugely disappointing that the BMA has rejected this offer and chosen to continue with its hugely destructive attacks.
“These strikes came at the worst possible time, with rapidly rising flu levels placing a huge strain on hospitals.”
