Junior doctors’ walkout puts end to 175,000 procedures

JUNIOR doctors’ walkouts this week have resulted in more than 175,000 operations and appointments being scrapped, more than during the winter of strikes by other NHS workers, official figures show.

The data show the devastating impact of strikes which led to junior doctors withdrawing from A&E and critical care departments in hospitals across England, as well as planned care.

Until now, around 140,000 procedures and consultations had been cancelled as a result of repeated strikes by nurses and ambulance workers since December.

Health chiefs said the disruption this week would “inevitably” affect efforts to clear NHS waiting backlogs with around 7 million people on waiting lists.

Prof Sir Stephen Powis, the NHS medical director, said: “Despite the huge efforts that NHS staff made to keep patients safe and minimise disruption, this strike was on an unprecedented scale and had a greater impact than all the other industrial action we have seen so far this winter combined.”

The Health Secretary held a meeting with the British Medical Association after warning the union the only deal on offer for this year is a one-off bonus.

The meeting came after pay proposals for a 5 per cent rise next year, and bonus of between £1,655 and £3,800 next year were agreed with unions representing 1.2 million workers including nurses, ambulance workers and midwives. Those unions will now put the terms to their members.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “We deeply regret that over 175,000 appointments and procedures were cancelled this week. However we are pleased the BMA has accepted our offer to enter talks based on the same terms as with the Agenda for Change unions, which concluded positively this week.”