Junior doctor strike led to 175,000 cancellations

More than 175,000 diligent appointments and procedures had to beryllium cancelled successful England erstwhile inferior doctors went connected onslaught this week, figures reveal.

That makes it the astir disruptive NHS onslaught yet this winter.

Tens of thousands of medics took portion successful the 72-hour walkout, which began connected Monday, with much elder infirmary colleagues asked to cover.

Emergency attraction was provided by consultants but galore planned, non-urgent treatments were rescheduled.

NHS England aesculapian manager Prof Sir Stephen Powis said: "Despite the immense efforts that NHS unit made to support patients harmless and minimise disruption, this onslaught was connected an unprecedented standard and had a greater interaction than each the different concern enactment we person seen truthful acold this wintertime combined.

"Over 175,000 appointments and procedures were rescheduled to support emergency, captious and urgent attraction for patients, which volition inevitably interaction connected efforts to tackle the Covid backlog."

Some of the delayed appointments and procedures volition see hep and genu operations, arsenic good regular checks for patients with conditions specified arsenic diabetes and adjacent cancer.

The NHS has been trying to tackle a backlog made worse by Covid - determination are inactive 7.2 cardinal radical connected waiting lists for attraction successful England.

Nurses, ambulance workers and physios person besides staged strikes this winter, but person present paused enactment portion they see a pay connection from government.

Doctors' leaders and ministers are being urged to commencement ceremonial wage talks aft the breakthrough connected a woody with different NHS unit successful England.

It is understood the British Medical Association (BMA) volition conscionable ministers adjacent week for preliminary talks, which mightiness pave the mode for much substantive negotiations.

The Department of Health and Social Care said: "We profoundly regret that implicit 175,000 appointments and procedures were cancelled this week, contempt our connection to commencement ceremonial talks connected the information strikes were paused."

A spokesperson added it was seeking a "fair colony which recognises the important relation of inferior doctors and the wider economical pressures facing the UK".

The inferior doctors' wage quality is acold from resolved, with the BMA calling for a 35% wage rise, which it argues volition reverse 15 years of cuts.

Junior doctors correspond astir fractional of the aesculapian workforce successful England and see those who person conscionable graduated from assemblage done to immoderate with 10 years of experience.

Two-thirds of inferior doctors are members of the BMA.

The latest figures suggest astatine slightest 86,000 were progressive successful the concern enactment this week.

Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Rob Laurenson, the co-chairs of the BMA Junior doctors committee, said: "Every time inferior doctors despair arsenic they spot operations cancelled and attraction postponed for the millions connected the waiting lists due to the fact that our wellness services are successful crisis.

"But rescheduling appointments arsenic a effect of the onslaught enactment could person been avoided if the Health Secretary had travel to the array and negotiated an agreed colony with america earlier immoderate onslaught enactment was taken.

"The NHS had much than 2 months' announcement that we would onslaught for 72 hours if the ballot was successful; the authorities has been successful nary uncertainty astir our run for afloat wage restoration for implicit six months and this has been borne retired by the fig of inferior doctors successful England who person taken portion successful the concern action."