Streetting warns that the NHS faces a few days while Doctor Strike begins

The NHS faces a few difficult days during the doctors’ strike in England when it is trying to keep as much services as possible, said the secretary of health.

Wes Streting said that it was not possible to eliminate the disruptions of the five -day strike by resident doctors, it was reduced to a minimum.

The thousands of resident doctors’ strike, previously known as the junior doctors, began Friday after the government and the British Medical Association (BMA) did not conclude an agreement on remuneration.

The NHS wants to operate non-urgent services, patients were invited to attend meetings, unless they said they are canceled. The BMA warned that the staff is stretched too finely.

The union began to accept certain requests that doctors stand out from the picking lines and work in hospitals that are the most pressure.

A doctor was invited to return to work at the neonatal intensive care unit at Nottingham City hospital during the weekend.

And the BMA gave a request from Lewisham hospital in southern London for two anesthesiologists to work on Saturday.

Before this strike, the 12th since March 2023, the union had only granted five requests to doctors to return to work, called derogations.

No official figure has yet been published on the impact of the last strike, but some hospitals report more than 80% of their non -urgent work. Senior doctors cover resident doctors.

Public members were invited to come forward for the NHS Care in England during the ranging.

GP surgeries will open as usual, and urgent care and A & e will continue to be available, alongside the NHS 111, said the NHS in England.

Street said that the government “would not let the BMA hold the country to ransom” and that it did “everything we can to minimize the risk for patients”.

Friday morning, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote in Times on Friday morning not to follow their union on the “harmful road” of the action of strike.

He said the ranging would lead to “enormous loss for the NHS and the country”, when he criticized the BMA to “rush” in strikes.

Resident doctors went to hospitals in England on Friday, holding signs calling for the restoration of remuneration.

At St Thomas Hospital in London, resident doctor Kelly Johnson said the strike was unfair as a “slap in the face”.

“When doctors decide to take strike measures, he is still described as if we were selfish, but we are here as a body to help public day, day,” she said.

At the general infirmary of Leeds, Cristina Costache, a pediatric registrar, said that it was a “difficult decision” to go on strike.

“I am depressed if I am not at work,” she said. “My heart is always at work. But I also care about my colleagues and my profession.”

Previous debraying has led to mass cancellations of operations, appointments and treatments.

More than a million were canceled during resident doctor strikes in March 2023 and routine care was half reduced in certain hospitals.

But this time, the NHS in England ordered hospitals to cancel only non -urgent work in exceptional circumstances.

Doctors in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are not part of the dispute.

The talks between the government and the union have focused on non -paid issues, such as examination fees, working conditions and career progress, after the street said that the salary was not open to negotiation.

There is currently no plan for more conferences, but this could change once the current striking action is completed.

Government sources say that the ball is in the BMA courtyard and that they will still not negotiate on remuneration.

The BMA says that, despite an average salary increase of 5.4% this year after an increase of 22% in the previous two years, remuneration is still declining by a fifth since 2008 once inflation has been taken into account.

During their first year of foundation after completing a medical diploma, doctors resident in England now earn a basic salary of £ 38,831. The second year, this reaches £ 44,439. Salaries exceed £ 73,000 by the end of the training.

We expect the doctors to work night quarters, weekends and longer hours for an additional salary. These rise on average their profits on average.

Dr. Melissa Ryan and Dr. Ross Nieuwoudt, the co-leaders of Dr. Melissa Ryan and Dr. Ross Nieuwoudt, said: “Resident doctors are no less worth that they were 17 years ago.

“Restoration of remuneration remains the simplest and most effective way to improve our professional life.

“Mr. Streting had every opportunity to prevent this strike, but he chose not to take it.”

While the majority of resident doctors work in hospitals, certain practices of general doctors and community services may also be assigned. Resident doctors represent almost half of the medical workforce.

Some patients were affected. Hassnain Shahid, 32, from Bradford, said that her three -year -old daughter had suffered her pulmonary surgery on Monday.

It has a rare pulmonary condition, which means that a cold is a serious risk for its health.

“It was an emotional mountain. It is very frustrating,” said Hassnain.

The BMA said he had written to NHS in England to say that the staff working in the strike could be stretched too finely. The union said that it would be preferable to considerably reduce non -urgent care, as previously happened.

But Saffron Cordery, deputy director general of NHS suppliers, who represents hospitals, said hospitals trying to maintain services would do so in “rigorous security guidelines”.

She said that the situation was complicated by the fact that the doctors were not forced to say if they would arise.

“No one will know it until they appear at their work quarters or not.”

About two thirds of resident doctors are members of the BMA.

The Liberal Democrats called for a resilience at NHS Strike, using private hospitals for certain elective treatments.

Shadow Health Conservative Secretary Stuart Andrew said the strikes had threatened to drag hospitals in chaos and leave patients “dangerously exposed”.

He criticized what he called the “rendering without spin from work to union requests” last year, which, according to him, allowed the BMA to return “for more”.

Rory Deighton, the NHS Confederation, who represents leaders of front -line health, said: “The impact of these strikes and the distress they will cause to patients rests with the BMA.”