England's health service braces for 'catastrophic' doctors' strike

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
11 Apr 2023 11:48

Numerous strikes have disrupted the lives of hundreds of Britons who were already under stress due to the rising cost of living.

People attend a protest by junior doctors amid a dispute with the government over pay, in London, March 13, 2023. (Reuters)

The public health service in England was on Tuesday preparing for "the most disruptive industrial action" in its history as junior doctors walk out over pay and working conditions.

Hospital services in the UK are in disarray as a result of strikes by ambulance drivers, nurses, and physicians since last year over wages and working conditions in the publicly financed NHS. Numerous strikes have disrupted the lives of hundreds of Britons who were already under stress due to the rising cost of living.

Junior doctors are planning a four-day strike beginning Tuesday, April 11. The strike is occurring amid a particularly busy period for the NHS, with demand for services likely to be high following the Easter bank holiday weekend, and with many other NHS employees on annual leave during the school holidays.

The national medical director of NHS England, Stephen Powis, has warned that the junior doctors' four-day strike could be the most serious action yet as it will put "immense pressures" on the service.

"This is set to be the most disruptive industrial action in NHS history, and the strikes tomorrow will bring immense pressures, coming on the back of a challenged extended bank holiday weekend for staff and services," he said on Monday.

"Emergency, urgent, and critical care will be prioritized but some patients will, unfortunately, have had their appointments postponed," he added.

According to the NHS Confederation, which represents the entire healthcare system in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, up to a quarter of a million appointments may be postponed.

Due to GPs being called in to cover for junior doctors, family doctors are reportedly closed for appointments for up to a week.

The strikes "are going to have a catastrophic impact on the capacity of the NHS," according to Matthew Taylor of the NHS Confederation, who spoke to Sky News.

The service has been "preparing extensively" for the strikes, said Powis, but stressed that the task was made "much more difficult" due to the "sheer numbers" of appointments that need to be rescheduled.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said "unrealistic" calls for a 35 percent pay rise had led to a breakdown in talks.

"This demand is widely out of step with pay settlements in other parts of the public sector at a time of considerable economic pressure on our country," he wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.

"I recognize their hard work and dedication. But it is deeply disappointing that this industrial action has been timed by the British Medical Association (BMA) Junior Doctors Committee to cause maximum disruption to both patients and other NHS staff."

According to official statistics, junior doctors make up about half of all NHS doctors and have up to eight years of experience working as hospital doctors.

Strikes have affected large portions of the UK economy, as employees battle a crisis in their standard of living brought on by double-digit inflation.