Patients at risk during doctor strike – NHS bosses
Hospital managers in England have expressed concerns that patient safety could be at risk during the upcoming four-day strike by junior doctors.
The strike, which starts on Tuesday, will affect both emergency and planned care. Managers have warned that they will struggle to staff rotas during the action.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has refused to exempt any services from the action but claims it will meet trade union requirements for life-and-limb cover by withdrawing junior doctors if individual hospitals report lives are in immediate danger.
During a similar strike last month, consultants were drafted in to provide cover, but with an estimated quarter of them on leave next week, bosses fear this will not be possible.
The BMA wants a 35% pay increase to make up for 15 years of below-inflation wage rises, but the government claims the demand is unrealistic.
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