NHS leaders and patients braced for strike disruption

Speaking ahead of resident doctors beginning five days of strike action, Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said:

“The NHS and patients are bracing themselves for five disruptive days of strike action. NHS leaders are doing everything they can to make sure patients are kept safe and as many people as possible can still get the treatment they need.

“Patient safety will be the number one priority for NHS leaders and patients should use the NHS as normal – calling 999 or 111, attending A&E in an emergency, or going to see their GP or pharmacist. While our members will try to keep as much activity on schedule as possible, there is little doubt that this industrial action will have an impact on some services. 

“These strikes were not inevitable – the government entered negotiations with the BMA in good faith to discuss improving the working and training lives of resident doctors. But despite resident doctor members receiving some of the biggest pay rises across the public sector, the Resident Doctors Committee decided to plunge the NHS and patients into disruption. The impact of these strikes and the distress they will cause patients rests with the BMA."