NHS doctors working at other hospitals on strike days

MINISTERS are investigating claims that striking junior doctors have been boosting their pay by picking up lucrative work at hospitals in different areas.

This paper has uncovered evidence that shows junior doctors have walked out from their scheduled hospital shifts while carrying out higherpaying ones elsewhere.

Senior NHS sources have told The Mail on Sunday that they ‘despair’ of bringing the dispute to a conclusion while doctors are able to ‘line their pockets’ on strike days.

One said: ‘Some of them just hop in the car and drive to another hospital trust where they earn more than they lose by striking.’

Posting on the website Reddit, one doctor said: ‘I’ve noticed that a few people are picking up locum shifts during strike days at another hospital.’

It is lawful for NHS workers on strike to work for another trust, but they are not allowed to carry out the duties of striking workers.

Junior doctors were last year encouraged by the British Medical Association (BMA) to make back the salary they would lose from striking with locum shifts around the industrial action dates.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘There are rules about what locum work can and cannot be carried out during industrial action and they must be adhered to.

‘Hospitals are under huge pressure from these strikes during one of the busiest times of the year for the NHS, and if there is rule-breaking on locum work during the strikes that is clearly wrong.’

The spokesman added: ‘It’s time the BMA junior doctors committee calls off the strike and comes back to the negotiating table.’