Anger and fear for patients as strike delays operations

It began after a dispute about the wage between the Government and the British Medical Association (BMA) in the UK.

Thousands of doctors are walking for more than five days and the health secretary insists that the streets of WES will be kept on a minimum.

However, a few NHS patients told BBC that they fear that their conditions may worse after delays to the planned procedures, and some of them sympathize with doctors’ concerns.

58 -year -old Peter Plant from Tamworth, who has kidney cancer, said that the operation of the organ on Friday was canceled on Thursday morning. The operation was re -planned for August 20, but he is afraid that the delay may be a “death penalty”.

“Settled doctors do not care that the delay of operations like mine is probably the death penalty,” he said.

“I’m absolutely angry and angry. It’s not just about me, it’s about our entire family.

“You are trying to prepare yourself for this, and then this is completely deflation.”

Mr. Plant said that he and his family lived in the “Limbo” and felt “completely disappeared”.

“Wes Streeting said he was telling hospitals to continue normally and wasn’t clear.”

The official figures on the effect of the strike have not yet been published. Some hospitals report that more than 80% of non -emergency studies are still being carried out.

Previous walks have led to the mass cancellation of operations, appointments and treatments: more than one million canceled during the physician strikes in March 2023 and routine care in some hospitals was halved.

Hassna Shahid of Bradford said that his three -year -old daughter urgently needed lung surgery, but was postponed indefinitely despite medical warnings about delay risks.

“This is an emotional rolecoaster and it is very annoying for us, Mr Mr. Shahid said.

Mr. Shahid’s daughter has a rare lung condition, Congenital Pulmonary Airlines Malformation (CPAM).

He said that the surgery of the consultants was urgent and that his daughter had less chances of cold in the summer.

“Now we were told that the surgery was canceled and did not have compliance – not even in September,” he said.

“They were those who said they had to do it.

“I understand why doctors are striking, but you know how much you will earn when you watch this path and go to university – if you are not satisfied with the wage, look at an alternative career.”

Sarah, a patient from the north -west of England, said that it should be an operation to remove hysterectomy on Monday, but it was canceled for the second time.

“There is no re -planned appointment for me right now,” he said. “It is very difficult when I said that I needed one in November 2024, especially when I prepare yourself for big surgery.”

58 -year -old Andrew Mundy from Lincoln expressed his fear that repeated delays to tendon surgery may permanently injure him.

At the beginning of February, he wounded his directory and was given a start date for the surgery at the end of May, and he said he was canceled because the consultant was on holiday.

The surgery was rearranged on Friday, but was canceled due to strike.

“I am aware that angry and every delay in surgery will make the chance of a successful repair even less possible,” he said.

“It is not fair that I will never get rid of this injury due to delays in treatment.

“Annoying because [the NHS] They do not cancel things and work as normal, but they cancel things. “

Michele from Somerset has been waiting for three years for spine surgery. He was told that the planned appointment on Thursday was canceled and believes that it was dependent on strikes.

Michele said he suffered from “fixed” and “relentless” nerve pain on the left side of his body.

Orum I feel that I fell, I feel that I wasn’t worth it. He shot me, ”he said.

Michele said he had received more than a week or two permission, and that he had already returned one step back to work part -time because of his leadership role.

“It has come to this point, so I can’t even do it now. It really affects my life.”

81 -year -old John Dixon of Wight Island, said that the knee operation planned at Southampton General Hospital on Friday has only made a three -hour notification.

Mr. Dixon said he was on the Southampton ferry when he received a call from the hospital about cancellation.

“How can NHS treat patients like this?” he said. “They must have [had] Good idea [on Thursday] Without letting people just go on long journeys to return home. “

Michael Overson from Lincolnshire, Gainsborough, Waiting for three years for knee operation and learned that the planned surgery was canceled on Tuesday on Friday.

Mr. Overson is a delivery driver for a national supermarket chain, and the delay means “to continue to live and work in pain”.

“This makes me a limo because I have no idea when to reorganize. I can’t plan anything.”

“The increasing costs of strikes only damage NHS.”

BMA President Dr Tom Dolphin, before the action began, “We are very sorry that strikes are necessary,” he said.

“Of course, if people have emergencies or if they need emergency care, they should present to the hospital or GP as usual as usual,” he said.

“Something striking, doctors don’t want to do.”

Bernadette McCague, Mary Litchfield, Rozina Sini and Kris Bramwell’s additional reports