Strikes in England’s beleaguered health service are set to push the number of delayed appointments close to 1 million.
(Bloomberg) — Strikes in England’s beleaguered health service are set to push the number of delayed appointments close to 1 million.
England’s junior doctors will strike for four days in August, the British Medical Association said on Wednesday, ahead of another 48-hour walkout by senior doctors later in the month.
Industrial action has already resulted in 822,000 appointments being postponed since workers in the National Health Service began protests over pay last December.
If appointments are delayed at the same rate as during this month’s strikes, about another 138,000 will be affected by the walkouts in August, according to calculations by Bloomberg News, taking the total to roughly 960,000. Furthermore, thousands of radiographers are currently on strike, having begun their own protest on Tuesday.
The unrest has piled further pressure on Rishi Sunak’s government to broker a new pay deal for medics. Tens of thousands of junior doctors will walk out for 96 hours starting at 7 a.m. on Aug. 11, while senior consultants will strike on Aug. 24-25.
The strikes are “a hugely disappointing move by the BMA,” said Minister for Health Will Quince. He said the latest offer provided an average raise of 8.8%, increasing annual pay for doctors in training to about £47,600 ($61,500).
Waiting lists
It’s the fifth round of strikes for junior medics, who are campaigning for the government to reverse pay erosion that they say has cut remuneration in real terms by 26% since 2008. Senior doctors represented by the BMA, who say their pay is down 35% in the same period, also took action last week, highlighting a wider malaise in the health service.
Waiting lists in the NHS are at record levels, undermining Sunak’s pledge to cut the backlog — one of five promises he’s asked voters to judge him by.
But Sunak has consistently argued that the most important of his promises — to cut inflation in half this year — is contingent on the Treasury showing restraint in its spending, including on pay awards for public sector workers.
After agreeing earlier this month to raise pay for doctors by 6%, as recommended by pay review bodies that the government says are independent, Sunak was firm in saying there would be “no more” talks on pay.
“We will not negotiate again on this year’s settlements, and no amount of strikes will change our decision,” he said.
(Updates with data on delayed appointments.)
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