Doctors' strike: Hospital apology as email sent to medics 'in error'

The hospital's chief executive said the email that was sent to junior doctors was a "genuine procedural error"

A hospital trust has apologised after an email was sent to junior doctors featuring an article claiming striking medics were "harming patients".

The article, in The Times, said doctors "must drop their absurd 35% pay claim and negotiate a sensible rise".

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) said the email, with the article attached, had been sent out to staff "in error".

It said it had apologised "directly" to junior doctors.

'People suffer and die'

The column in The Times said: "Strikes lengthen waiting lists, so strikes kill. Eventually".

It continued: "People suffer or die if [doctors] are not there to provide diagnoses or treatment. Theirs is the most non-trivial of pursuits. The corollary of this argument is that when doctors are not there — when, for example, they strike — people suffer and die."

The BMA has been asking for a 35% increase, which it said was to make up for 15 years of below-inflation rises.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay previously said the pay demand from doctors was "unreasonable" and the strike would put patient safety at risk.

'A genuine error'

In a statement, UHP said: "An article was anonymously sent to the trust and whilst incoming correspondence would normally be logged and, if appropriate, shared with the relevant department as we often receive articles with feedback and praise for different service teams. [But] in error, this article was wrongly shared with junior doctors.

"It was not shared at the request of our Executive Team and we are investigating exactly what happened for it to be forwarded in this way.

"We have apologised directly to our junior doctors and cannot reiterate that apology enough.

"We have, and want to continue to have, a close and good working relationship with our junior doctor colleagues and deeply value the contribution they make.

"This error in no way reflects our position as a trust and we have reiterated throughout the periods of industrial action that we respect the right of all staff to strike."

Derriford Hospital's chief executive, Ann James, issued a statement on social media on Wednesday.

She said: "As CEO I would like to reiterate this was a genuine procedural error and we are all mortified that this has happened.

"Apologies to those who received it, we will of course immediately review how it happened. Thank you."

Dr Rob Laurenson, co-chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, said it was disappointing.

"NHS Trusts need to respect their doctors and have good working relationships but this email by University Hospitals Plymouth raises questions about the culture being promoted by management," he said.

"Junior doctors are taking industrial action following over a decade of the profession being devalued and under resourced by this government, to the point where so many have left and are continuing to leave in their droves.

"Healthcare in this country needs to improve, but without the recruitment and retention of doctors to deal with the unprecedented pressures across the health service, which are continuing to grow, it simply cannot."

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