In a bold and stern statement, Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, today calls on doctors to put an end to their ongoing strikes, emphasizing the harm it causes to patients. Writing for the Mail, Barclay criticizes the British Medical Association (BMA) for engaging in unnecessary walkouts. He expresses particular concern over the union’s threat to continue striking indefinitely as winter approaches, a time when the NHS faces heightened pressure.
Barclay’s rebuke, his boldest to date, coincides with thousands of junior doctors commencing their fifth round of industrial action. These doctors, seeking a 35% pay rise, have decided to refuse care for four days, even in emergency situations. It is worth noting that some of these doctors had only recently graduated and begun working for the NHS nine days ago.
Official figures reveal that NHS waiting lists in England have reached a record 7.6 million, further complicating efforts to address the Covid treatment backlog. The ongoing strikes are believed to be hindering progress, with approximately 800,000 appointments and operations canceled as a result. This number may even rise to two million as many hospitals avoid scheduling appointments on strike days to avoid subsequent cancellations.
Barclay argues that the lowest-paid junior doctors, those in their first year of training, will experience a 10.3% increase in their basic average pay, amounting to approximately £47,600. As these doctors progress to consultant level, their average annual income reaches £134,000, and they retire with a pension of £78,000 per year, which is four times the national average.
The Health Secretary emphasizes that further strikes would be fruitless as the pay offer is final, and the government has already expressed its willingness to discuss ways to enhance working conditions. Barclay expresses his concerns over the BMA’s decision to proceed with unnecessary strike actions, highlighting the harm inflicted on both patients and their colleagues. He emphasizes that such disruption has resulted in nearly 800,000 postponed appointments and procedures, a significant setback for the NHS as it recovers from the pandemic and tackles the backlog of cases.
Backing his stance, Barclay cites a poll indicating that over half the public believes the pay award is either “about right” or “too high.” Rishi Sunak has identified tackling NHS waiting lists as one of his top priorities. However, the BMA argues that this goal is unlikely to be achieved while doctors continue to strike. In their pursuit of better pay, BMA leaders have even admitted to using patients as a bargaining tool.
Dr. Robert Laurenson and Dr. Vivek Trivedi, co-chairmen of the BMA’s junior doctors committee, highlight the predicament faced by newly qualified doctors who commence their careers with no alternative but to strike for their future. They call on the government to promptly engage in discussions to prevent further harm to the profession. The ongoing dispute, they argue, should never have persisted for this long.
Additionally, concerns have been raised about the impact of the current industrial action due to a recent High Court ruling barring the NHS from seeking support from agency staff during strikes. While NHS trusts can still rely on their own bank staff to cover for striking workers, this ruling poses an additional challenge. Sir Julian Hartley of NHS Providers warns that the ongoing strikes will have a lasting impact on patients whose treatments have been delayed, further diminishing staff morale and pushing trusts to the tipping point. This will make it exceedingly difficult for trusts to reduce waiting lists to the extent desired by the government.
Amidst these challenges, the NHS urges the public to utilize emergency services for life-threatening situations and seek non-urgent care through the 111 online platform. GPs and pharmacies remain open and largely unaffected, and patients are advised to attend scheduled appointments unless instructed otherwise.
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