The Medical Director at the trust which runs Shropshire’s two main hospitals says it’s inevitable that some outpatient appointments and routine procedures will be postponed due to planned industrial action by Junior Doctors.
A five-day strike by junior doctors will take place across England between 12-16 September due to the BMA’s ongoing dispute with the government over new contracts.
The “full withdrawal of labour” will take place during the working day from 8am until 5pm.
Dr Edwin Borman, Medical Director at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said:
“As with previous periods of industrial action, our first priority is the safe care of our patients. We shall be discussing the implications of this action with our Junior Doctors and our colleagues in the BMA. We are all aware of the importance of working together to ensure patient safety. In addition, all of our junior doctors understand their obligations in this respect under the GMC’s Good Medical Practice.
“We shall be working hard to ensure that our plans minimise the impact on our patients, but we are very aware that any level of disruption can be inconvenient and that there will be an added level of anxiety amongst some of our patients because of the nature of the action.
“Because of the duration of this latest period of industrial action it is, unfortunately, inevitable that we shall have to postpone some outpatient appointments and routine procedures. However, we shall still be able to provide a full service for patients needing urgent and emergency care. I would like to thank in advance those members of staff who will be altering their work patterns to ensure we can continue to provide safe care for our patients.
“We shall be taking steps to ensure that any patient who we know will be affected by the industrial action is notified in advance.
“It has been well reported that demand in our hospitals has been high over the last few weeks and we are aware of the additional challenges this period of industrial action will present, so I would ask people to ensure they are prepared for any disruption.
“If you have regular medication, make sure you have collected your prescription from the GP in plenty of time and have been to the pharmacist to collect it so that you have it to hand.
“If you feel unwell contact your GP or pharmacist, or contact NHS111 for advice.
“Your local pharmacy can offer advice on common problems such as coughs, colds, aches and pains and can also help you decide whether you need to see a doctor.”
Further strike action by Junior Doctors is planned for Monday 12 September to Friday 16 September, Wednesday 5 October to Tuesday 11 October (although the weekend will be covered), Monday 14 November to Friday 18 November and Monday 5 December to Friday 9 December.
This follows a vote by junior doctors in July to reject the proposed contract, and repeated attempts by the BMA over the past two months to work constructively with the government to address the outstanding areas of concern. Despite this, the government is refusing to acknowledge junior doctors’ concerns and is continuing with plans to impose the contract in October.
Key concerns raised by junior doctors include the impact that the contract will have on those working less than full time, a majority of whom are women, and the impact it will have on junior doctors working the most weekends, typically in specialties where there is already a shortage of doctors.
The government has said that a new contract is needed to deliver more seven-day services when the department of health’s own documents show that the NHS does not have a plan as to how it will staff or fund further seven-day services.
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