Don’t put off treatment during doctors’ strike, NHS tells patients
The National Health Service (NHS) urged patients to proceed with their medical needs as usual despite a six-day strike by resident doctors in England, set to begin on Tuesday. This marks the 15th industrial action in a ongoing pay and working conditions dispute. NHS managers warned that a sudden increase in patient demand might pose significant challenges, especially following the long bank holiday weekend.
Resident doctors, previously referred to as junior doctors, are set to participate in the walkout from 07:00 BST on Tuesday until just before 07:00 on Monday, 13 April. Tens of thousands of medical professionals will be involved. Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the strikes as “disappointing” but emphasized the focus on safeguarding patients and staff by reducing service interruptions.
Senior doctors and those not participating in the action will remain on duty, according to NHS officials. They advised that patients should not delay appointments unless explicitly notified of changes. The strike follows failed negotiations to resolve the three-year dispute, which ended in March.
Union and Government Disagreements
The British Medical Association (BMA) expressed concerns about the disruption caused by the strike, even with NHS England’s claims of maintaining most services. Dr. Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, stated:
“Many senior doctors will be covering for us and whilst that of course benefits patients, we know they are also exhausted and as demoralised as we are.”
NHS England’s national clinical director, Prof. Ramani Moonesinghe, assured that “tried and tested systems” are in place to protect health services during the strike. She added:
“The NHS is still open for business and there are still plenty of people there available to care for you. If you have a planned appointment—unless you have been specifically told that it has been postponed or cancelled—you should attend for that as you’d expect to. If you have an emergency or urgent condition, you should do exactly the things you’d normally do—so phone 111 or 999 if you need that sort of emergency care, attend A&E if you need emergency care or visit your GP or a local pharmacy if you have a less urgent condition.”
Resident doctors account for nearly half of the NHS workforce, with two-thirds affiliated with the BMA. After the strike announcement, the government revoked a key part of its offer, removing 1,000 additional training spots. The Department of Health and Social Care stated the plan was no longer “financially or operationally” feasible, though it would not reduce the total number of doctors in the NHS as these roles would be filled from existing temporary positions.
Alongside the training places, the government had also promised to cover expenses like exam fees and accelerate pay progression across five salary bands. The pay scale starts at just under £39,000 and rises to nearly £74,000. However, the BMA terminated discussions, citing that the pay progression terms had been “watered down” at the last minute. This coincided with the government adopting an independent pay review body’s recommendation for a 3.5% raise for all doctors, including resident doctors, effective this month.
The union argues that while the pay rise represents a third increase over four years, it still leaves resident doctors’ salaries 20% below 2008 levels when adjusted for inflation. The BMA uses the Retail Price Index (RPI) to calculate inflation, matching the measure the government employs for student loan interest calculations.
