NHS sufferers face main disruption over the following 48 hours as senior medical doctors in England start their first main strike in practically 50 years.
Consultant medical doctors together with hospital-based dentists will strike over pay from 7am on Thursday till 7am on Saturday.
It follows the longest interval of commercial motion within the historical past of the NHS by junior medical doctors throughout 5 days from final Thursday to Tuesday.
The NHS medical director warned the newest motion could be one of many hardest strikes within the historical past of the service, with “routine care virtually at a standstill”.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis warned of the mass disruption anticipated throughout the NHS with consultants offering simply emergency cowl.
Apart from a short dispute over pensions in 2012, senior consultants final took main long-term motion in 1975 over their contracts.
Consultants are senior medical doctors who see sufferers however are additionally accountable for the supervision of junior medical doctors and different workers.
Patients have been warned a “significant amount” of deliberate care involving junior medical doctors will likely be affected as a result of different clinicians can not present cowl or perform supervisory roles.
The British Medical Association mentioned consultants will present “Christmas Day cover” – that means solely an emergency care degree of service.
NHS England mentioned: “We are now entering the eighth month of industrial action across the NHS and staff continue to work hard to provide patients with the best possible care under the circumstances.
“Industrial motion has impacted roughly 600,000 hospital appointments throughout the NHS with over 365,000 workers absences resulting from industrial motion throughout this time.”
What if you happen to want pressing medical care?
The NHS states individuals ought to use NHS111 on-line to be assessed and directed to the appropriate care.
If you don’t have web entry, then the 111 helpline is on the market.
When somebody is significantly ailing or injured and their life is in danger, it is best to search emergency care within the regular method by calling 999.
The NHS web site states: “Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases.
“Patients ought to take recommendation from 111/999 call-handlers on whether or not there are circumstances the place it’s appropriate for them to make their very own technique to hospital.
“During strike days, it is likely 999 and 111 call handlers will be very busy, this may mean longer call response times.”
GP companies and pharmacies will likely be operating as regular.
‘My door is at all times open’
On the strikes by senior medical doctors, Health Secretary Steve Barclay mentioned: “I hugely value the work of NHS consultants which is why we have accepted the independent pay review body recommendations in full, giving them a 6% pay rise this year, on top of last year’s 4.5% increase.
“My door is at all times open to debate non-pay points, however this pay award is ultimate so I urge the BMA to finish their strikes instantly.”
Source: information.sky.com”