Wales NHS pressure fears over junior doctors' strike
- Published
Junior doctors in England, likes these outside St Thomas' Hospital in London, staged a six-day walkout earlier in January
NHS leaders are worried the junior doctors' strike in Wales will coincide with one of the most difficult weeks of the year for the health service.
A three-day walkout from Monday is due to a pay dispute between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Welsh government.
NHS leaders said they knew staff did not take the decision lightly.
Health Minister Eluned Morgan said she understood the frustration, but there is no more money to offer.
"The only place we can go for more money is to cut it from other parts of the NHS and I'm not sure if the public would thank us for that," she said.
Ms Morgan reassured people that urgent and life-threatening care will continue to be provided.
Welsh NHS Confederation director Darren Hughes said NHS leaders were concerned the strikes were taking place "on one of the most pressurised weeks of the year, following recent weeks of significant winter pressures".
He added: "Inevitably there will be a knock-on effect on the NHS's capacity to perform the balancing act of winter pressures versus making inroads into the elective backlog.
"NHS leaders know staff do not take the decision to strike lightly, as we all know the impact it has on patients and colleagues."
There are nearly 4,000 junior doctors in Wales, including those in the first year of their career as a doctor, as well as those on the brink of becoming a consultant.
Of the 65% of junior doctors who voted during the ballot on industrial action, 98% backed a walkout.
The BMA in Wales said its members "have been forced to take this difficult decision" because they have seen their pay drop by almost a third during the past 15 years.
Dr Oba Babs-Osibodu and Dr Peter Fahey, co-chairs of BMA Cymru Wales' junior doctors committee, said: "No doctor wants to strike. We had hoped the Welsh government had properly understood the strength of feeling amongst junior doctors in Wales.
NHS Wales head Judith Paget has warned of significant disruption during the strike
"Sadly, their inaction over this matter has led us here today, demoralised, frustrated and angry.
"After years of undervaluing our lifesaving service we feel we've been left with no choice but to stand up for the profession and say enough is enough, we cannot and will not accept the unacceptable anymore."
One health board has postponed 80% of planned operations and 75% of outpatient appointments due to the strike, which runs from 07:00 GMT on Monday until the same time on Thursday.
Nearly a quarter of all junior doctors in Wales work for Cardiff and Vale University health board, which provides a large proportion of highly specialised treatments like neurosurgery and transplants.
Its members have already been given a 5% rise by Welsh government, which is below the 6% recommended by the independent remuneration body.
In England, junior doctors have already been given 8.8%, but have rejected an additional offer worth 3% on average.
In Scotland, an improved offer of 12.4% has been accepted, while in Northern Ireland a ballot is planned.
All health boards have advised that any patients with a planned appointment should attend it unless they are contacted by the health board for it to be rearranged.
The strike is expected to mainly affect hospitals, although some GP surgeries could be hit.
The advice from health boards is for people to use the NHS 111 Wales website in the first instance to find out information about the most appropriate service for their needs.
- Published27 December 2023
- Published4 January
