A major NHS strike is taking place in the North West today and it’s the first time junior doctors and consultants have joined forces in doing so.
The walk outs are set to cause major disruptions for patients.
Consultants are still disputing pay and will walk out today and for three days in October (2 – 4 ).
Junior doctors – who have already held 19 days of strike action since March – will walk out today, Thursday and Friday, and October 2-4.
Today’s strike, plus the three days next month, will see both consultants and junior doctors absent from work on the same days.
Yesterday, 51 consultants at the Royal Preston Hospital began a 48-hour strike, and today they will be joined by junior doctors for a three-day strike. This is the first time both groups are striking together, and it will seriously impact hospital services.
Hospital staff have been preparing for this strike for three weeks, making sure the sickest patients get the care they need. This means 120 routine surgeries have been cancelled this week.
What are the strikes about?
Earlier this year, the government increased consultants’ pay by 6%, but senior doctors say their take-home pay has actually gone down by more than a third in the last 14 years.
Both consultants and doctors say the solution is simple: better pay.
This strike is happening at one of the toughest times for the NHS, as pressures are mounting.
Waiting lists are already at a record high, with 7.7 million people waiting for treatment, and this number is likely to increase unless a solution is found.
How the strikes will affect people
Emergency care will still be available, but planned treatments are likely to be postponed, affecting thousands of appointments.
NHS leaders are concerned because they’ve never seen such a big strike before, and they expect patients to be at risk.
Faith Button, chief operating officer at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, is urging the government and unions to get back to the negotiating table and resolve the strikes as soon as possible, especially with winter approaching.
The next joint strike is planned to coincide with the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester next month.
