The NHS is facing weeks of major disruption at a time when
services are already under significant winter pressure, England’s
top doctor has warned today.
Junior doctors take strike action from tomorrow (Wednesday) at
7am until 7am on Saturday (23rd). The NHS will
prioritise urgent and emergency care as consultants step in to
cover for junior doctors, who make up 50% of the medical
workforce.
After Christmas and New Year, the longest action ever by junior
doctors is also planned from 7am on the 3rd January to
7am on the 9th January, meaning that in the coming
three weeks, only two weekdays in the NHS are unaffected by
holidays or industrial action.
In more than a full calendar year of action, strikes have seen
more than 1.1million inpatient and outpatient appointments
rescheduled.
Despite extensive planning and cover arrangements in place, the
latest strikes by junior doctors are expected to cause widespread
disruption – from the impact on almost all routine care, to an
extra admin burden and difficulties with discharging patients.
The NHS is reminding people that they should continue to use
services as they normally would when they need urgent medical
help – using 999 and A&E in life threatening emergencies.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical
director, said: “These strikes come at a time that
will cause huge disruption to the NHS, with services are already
feeling the strain of winter pressure.
“When you factor in the Christmas and New Year break, these
strikes will prolong that period of reduced activity and it also
puts the health service on the back foot into the new year, which
is a time where we see demand start to rise significantly.
“Over the holiday period, I would encourage anyone who needs
medical help to continue to come forward - in a life-threatening
emergency, call 999 and use A&E in the usual way. For
everything else, use 111 online.”
