URGENT UPDATE: NHS resident doctors are on strike across England, significantly impacting hospitals, including those in Liverpool, from November 14 to November 19, 2023. This strike action, involving picket lines at key locations like the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, has raised alarms about service disruptions during a peak demand period for urgent and emergency care.
The British Medical Association (BMA) is demanding a staggering 26% pay increase to counteract the erosion of resident doctors’ earnings due to inflation. The government, however, argues that a 29% pay settlement over the past three years was among the largest public sector increases and intended to resolve previous disputes.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has publicly criticized the BMA for not presenting the government’s last offer—which included enhanced training opportunities and career progression—to its members for a vote. As the strike unfolds, the NHS has warned that services will be significantly impacted, especially as winter pressures escalate.
During the five-day strike, an average of 17,236 resident doctors were absent daily, according to recent NHS data. Despite this, more than 95% of planned care proceeded, with over 850,000 patients receiving elective treatments, outperforming activity levels from a previous strike in July.
NHS chief executive Sir James Mackey has urged the BMA to return to negotiations, emphasizing that continued strike action is detrimental to patients, staff, and the NHS as a whole. He stated, “This is bad for patients, bad for staff, and bad for the NHS.”
In a statement following the strikes, Dr. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, expressed optimism for a resolution if the government addresses crucial issues surrounding job security and pay. He highlighted the “absurd situation” where a lack of training posts leaves UK-trained doctors unemployed and reiterated the need for a pay increase that translates to “a pound an hour, in today’s money, extra each year for a first-year resident doctor,” secured for the coming years.
With rising tensions and no resolution in sight, the impact of this strike on healthcare services is escalating. As developments continue, the healthcare sector and patients alike are waiting anxiously for the next steps in this ongoing dispute.
Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops.
