NHS bosses warn health service faces 'mop-up' after doctors' strikes, as impact from walkouts 'could last months'
9 January 2024, 16:55
NHS bosses have warned that the health service faces a "mop-up" challenge after the longest-ever strike by British health. service staff ended on Tuesday.
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The six-day doctors strike which began on January 3 and ended at 7am this morning, which came at one of the healthcare service’s busiest periods, could have serious consequences for ‘weeks and months to come, NHS leaders said.
Bosses warned that the strikes would have a significant impact on waiting lists, undermining one of Rishi Sunak’s key NHS pledges, which was to eliminate waits for procedures and operations of more than 65 weeks long.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, told LBC: "NHS leaders will be relieved that this round of industrial action is coming to a close but their teams now face the mop-up challenge of rebooking the tens of thousands of patients whose planned care was displaced.
“These strikes came during one of the busiest weeks of the year for the health service, as seen in number of trusts having to declare critical incidents or calling for junior doctors to return to work.
"Health leaders and their staff carried out extensive planning to prepare for these strikes, and their incredible hard work over this period has kept services from buckling completely and maintained services as best as possible.
Read more: NHS cancellations to surpass one million as junior doctors begin longest strike in NHS history
"It is too early to say what the full impact of the longest strikes in NHS history has been and how many patients have had their vital appointments or operations postponed.
"What is potentially more worrying is we do not know how many patients avoided coming forward for care due to the strikes and what kind of backlog this could create for already overstretched services.
"The NHS will take time to recover, but it is still the middle of winter and with a cold snap on the horizon services could face yet more pressure.
Consultants who covered for their junior doctor colleagues could also be taking time off now, which may lead to a further drop in productivity, he said.
Mr Taylor added: "Now that the strikes are coming to an end the government and BMA should re-start negotiations and end this dispute which is having such an impact on patients and the NHS."
NHS data for A&E performance showed that 44,655 people endured at least 12 hours in A&E in last October before being admitted, transferred or discharged. Just 70% of patients were seen within four hours, the target period set for the NHS.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: "Colleagues across the NHS have worked incredibly hard to keep patients safe during strikes.
"The longest strike in the history of the NHS may be over, but the impact on the health service will be felt for weeks and months to come."
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins echoed his concerns, telling the paper: “When strikes like this end, their impact doesn’t finish on the same day.The repercussions will be felt for weeks and months to come.
“Thousands of cancelled appointments and operations must be rescheduled and staff who provided cover need to take the rest they deserve.“Then there's the usual pressures the NHS faces [now].
“I urge the BMA to get back around the table so we can end this dispute.”
The BMA has been demanding that junior doctors receive a 35% pay rise, which they say would equate to a pay restoration after inflation to 2008 levels, but the government argues that the rise is unaffordable.
Over the course of the industrial action, a furious row broke out between striking junior doctors and the NHS over so-called derogation requests.
The requests are used to justify calling doctors back to the hospitals during strikes and are exempt from industrial action.
The BMA accused health bosses of exaggerating information on staffing levels, with the union accusing the NHS of undermining the process.
BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs, Dr Laurenson and Dr Trivedi added: "It has also been extremely disappointing to see hospital trusts use exaggerated requests or providing incomplete and inaccurate information on staffing levels in order to get junior doctors back to work during this strike.
"This has undermined a process which has previously worked well to enable NHS workers to strike while efficiently ensuring patient safety."
Health service sources said that about 35 of these requests were made during the strike. At least half were turned down by the BMA.
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire NHS Trust declared a critical incident last week, after reporting long waits in A&E and for admission to wards.
In a statement, Dr Dave Briggs, Medical Director at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, said: “We are grateful to everyone who has taken steps to help, and we would like to thank our incredible teams across the health and social care sector for their efforts in keeping the public safe.”
