Ailing Britons have been urged by health chiefs to stay away from emergency departments because of ‘severe pressure’ caused by the junior doctors’ strike.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, urged patients to only come to ER in ‘life-threatening emergencies’ and directed them to GP surgeries, 111 and pharmacies for non-emergency care.
It comes as the 72-hour strike among junior medics enters its final day. The move, coordinated by the British Medical Association (BMA), is an attempt to raise their wages by 35 percent.
The union has said it is “open to entering into talks with the government anytime, anywhere” to end the dispute, which health leaders have warned could cause more disruption than any other action in health care history and a lasting impact. impact on cancer and routine care.
But officials yesterday accused the union of pursuing “stunts, not small talk” after its representative posted photos on social media from outside government buildings.
The 72-hour strike among junior doctors has entered its last day. The move, coordinated by the British Medical Association, is an attempt to raise their wages by as much as 35 percent. Pictured: Junior Doctors strikes on March 13 in Downing Street
The BMA has said it would negotiate with Health Secretary Steve Barclay (pictured as he leaves No10 today) if he drops terms that are “responsible for preventing either side from negotiating a settlement”
Sir Stephen said: ‘Emergency departments continued to be under heavy pressure yesterday, and while we prioritize urgent and critical care, it’s important to remember that GP surgeries and pharmacies remain largely unaffected and 111 online can help with many non-urgent needs .’
He said some emergency departments recorded their busiest Monday of the year this week, when the strike began, posing “a major challenge” as staff work to mitigate the impact of the union action on patients.
He said: ‘As we see the impact of the most important strike disruption in the history of the NHS, we are very grateful to the public for using the services properly.
“If you need urgent care, please keep calling 999 and please go to GP or hospital appointments unless otherwise contacted.
“But the public can help us ensure that care can be delivered to those most in need in the next 48 hours by using only 999 and A&E in life-threatening emergencies, and using NHS 111 online or calling 111 for non-urgent needs. ‘
The latest ER data for February shows emergency departments have recovered somewhat after recording their worst-ever performance this winter. But nearly 35,000 attendees were faced with waiting times of more than 12 hours last month and only seven in 10 were seen within the four-hour NHS target.
Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said the strikes ‘have been so difficult for the NHS so far’ and demand for care has not declined – something seen during previous strikes.
He said, “Senior doctors step into the breach, but it’s not as usual. For hospital patients, this means that admissions take longer and the discharge process is also slower.
“The delays in the handover of ambulances have also increased.
“We’re seeing more coverage from senior mental health physicians and community services, but it’s not sustainable and trust leaders worry about ‘burning goodwill.’
“The planning effort required to prepare for the strike and keep the services running has been enormous and has cost leaders time for other work. We can’t go on like this. The consequences of a three-day strike will be felt for a long time to come.
“We need the government and doctors’ unions to come to an agreement quickly.”
Young doctors, who make up half of the medical workforce, aim for a 35 percent increase — some would cost £2 billion, about 1.3 per cent of the £152.6 billion NHS budget.
The BMA said the workforce has seen a 26 percent real pay cut since 2008/2009.
Pictured: Young doctors gather outside Downing Street on March 13
Pictured: Young doctors gather outside Downing Street on March 13
NHS data on A&E performance in February shows that only seven in 10 A&E visitors (71.5 per cent) were seen within four hours of appearing on A&E (red line). Meanwhile, 34,976 patients seeking help in emergency departments had to wait more than 12 hours – equivalent to more than 1,000 patients per day (yellow bar)
Dr. Laurenson tweeted, “Heard Steve Barclay was desperate to negotiate air news. ‘Strange because I didn’t receive an email inviting me. So I went to DHSC and the cabinet, but unfortunately Steve was absent. Steve says one thing, but wants another. He wants these strikes’
A junior doctor typically earns £38,000 in their first year of training, rising to £55,000 in their third year. They also receive a pension contribution of 20 percent of their salary.
NHS leaders have warned that the strikes this winter are ‘likely to be the most severe’ and could lead to ‘the most serious disruption we have seen from any strike in the NHS in its history’.
So far this winter, about 140,000 appointments and surgeries have been canceled due to strikes, with half a million more expected to be canceled this week.
Medics have refused to agree to strike exceptions and many have failed to notify their employers of their plan to strike. It led to some trusts canceling all routine procedures ahead of time, while others were forced to call off operations at short notice.
Hospital bosses have said they are scheduling shifts “on an hourly basis” and diverting senior doctors, who are not on strike, to those with “the greatest clinical need.”
The BMA has said it will negotiate with Health Secretary Steve Barclay if he drops terms that are “responsible for preventing both sides from negotiating a settlement.”
It said these included a deal with a one-time bonus payment for the past year, rather than the “full pay reinstatement” called for by the BMA.
Dr. Rob Lawrence and Dr. Vivek Trivedi, co-chairs of the BMA’s junior doctor committee, said the strikes were ‘100 per cent the fault’ of Mr Barclay, who is ‘showing no real commitment to resolving this dispute’.
The pair said: “We remain open to talks with the government anytime, anywhere to quickly resolve this dispute and restore the wages that junior doctors have lost.
“If the health minister is really committed to this, he should drop these unreasonable terms and start real negotiations with us.”
But a Whitehall source recounted The Telegraph that the union is “more interested in stunts than small talk” after showing up at government offices after Mr Barclay said he wanted to negotiate.
Dr. Laurenson tweeted, “Heard Steve Barclay was desperate to negotiate air news.
‘Strange because I didn’t receive an email inviting me. So I went to DHSC and the cabinet, but unfortunately Steve was absent.
Steve says one thing, but wants another. He wants these strikes.’
However, the source told the paper that Mr Barclay was negotiating with unions representing nurses and ambulance unions, while Dr Laurenson posted messages on social media.
They said, ‘It’s hard to understand what they’re doing, they’re basically saying they won’t agree to talks unless it’s looking at 15 years of back pay.
“The offer to talk is there, Steve has written to them to make that clear, but instead they’re more interested in pulling stunts.”