Key Takeaways
- The British Medical Association (BMA) has voted to continue with a planned five-day doctor strike in England, despite a new offer from the government.
- The strike, which will start on Wednesday, is due to concerns over resident doctors’ pay, which the union argues is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.
- The government has maintained that it will not negotiate on pay, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling the pay demands "fantasy".
- The strike will put additional pressure on hospitals, which are already struggling with a surge in flu cases, with over 2,600 patients in hospital with flu in the first week of December.
- Senior doctors will be drafted in to provide cover during the strike, and the BMA has committed to ensuring patient safety and addressing concerns as they arise.
Introduction to the Doctor Strike
The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced that a planned five-day doctor strike in England will go ahead, despite a new offer from the government. The strike, which is due to start on Wednesday, is the result of a long-running dispute over resident doctors’ pay, which the union argues is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account. The government has maintained that it will not negotiate on pay, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling the pay demands "fantasy". The strike will put additional pressure on hospitals, which are already struggling with a surge in flu cases.
The Government’s Offer and the BMA’s Response
The government’s new offer included increasing speciality training posts and covering out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees, but did not include any promises on pay. The BMA agreed to a snap poll to determine whether to accept the offer, but the majority of members voted to reject it. The union’s leader, Dr. Jack Fletcher, said that the "resounding response" should leave the health secretary in no doubt about how badly he has just fumbled his opportunity to end industrial action. He added that any solution had to address pay, and that the union was "committed to ensuring patient safety" and would be in close contact with NHS England throughout the strike to address concerns as they arise.
The Impact of the Strike on Hospitals
The strike will put significant pressure on hospitals, which are already struggling with a surge in flu cases. Data shows that the number of patients in hospital with flu had risen by more than 50% in a week, topping 2,600 in the first week of December. Officials have warned that there is still no sign of the flu season peaking yet, and that the strain of flu that is circulating is particularly nasty. The strain, H3N2, tends to cause more severe illness, and has mutated somewhat, with fears that people may have less immunity. Senior doctors will be drafted in to provide cover during the strike, but the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals, has expressed disappointment that the BMA has rejected the government’s offer and chosen to continue with the strike.
The Government’s Response to the Strike
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned that the strike is "irresponsible and dangerous" given the pressure that hospitals are under with flu. He has maintained that the pay demands are "fantasy" and that the government will not negotiate on pay. He has also urged resident doctors to still go to work, saying that there is a different magnitude of risk striking at this moment. However, the BMA has argued that the government’s offer is not enough to address the concerns of resident doctors, and that a solution must be found that addresses pay. The strike will be the 14th in the long-running dispute, which began in March 2023.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
The doctor strike in England is a significant concern for the NHS, which is already under pressure from a surge in flu cases. The BMA has argued that the government’s offer is not enough to address the concerns of resident doctors, and that a solution must be found that addresses pay. The government has maintained that it will not negotiate on pay, and has urged resident doctors to still go to work. The strike will put additional pressure on hospitals, and it is likely that the dispute will continue until a solution is found that addresses the concerns of both the government and the BMA. The impact of the strike on patient safety and the NHS as a whole will be closely monitored, and it is likely that the dispute will have significant consequences for the healthcare system in England.