NHS Confederation says BMA's decision not to call off the strikes 'bitterly disappointing'

Responding to the British Medical Association (BMA) confirming that resident doctors will go on strike this week, Rory Deighton, acute director at the NHS Confederation, said:

“It is bitterly disappointing that the British Medical Association (BMA) has not taken the decision to call off the strikes and that patients and the public now face five days of widespread disruption. This is in spite of efforts by the government and the NHS to avert the strike.

"The impact will be felt most acutely by patients. We are talking about vital, life-changing care being disrupted. The needs of every at-risk patient should be put first here but they are not.

"NHS leaders and their teams will do all they can to mitigate the risks and to try to ensure that as many essential services as possible are kept up and running. But unfortunately there will be disruption, but the BMA will clearly bear the responsibility for the distress being caused to patients.

“While we recognise the concerns that resident doctors have, we believe the strikes are a misjudged course of action given the large pay rise that resident doctors have already received."