Hospitals prepare for dual action by hospital doctors

Healthcare across the Humber will see more services disrupted in the coming days due to industrial action by hospital doctors.

For the first time ever, junior doctors and consultant members of the British Medical Association (BMA) will be coordinating their strike action, resulting in four days’ service disruption from 19^th to 23^rd September. On Wednesday 20^th September, action by the two groups will overlap, with both consultants and juniors providing only a ‘Christmas Day’ level of cover for 24hrs.

Simon Nearney, Director of Workforce for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust says:

“We’ve never seen doctors take this type of coordinated industrial action in the health service before, so this does give us cause for concern and will understandably concern our patients too.

“On any one of these four days there will be disruption, but on the 20^th in particular, consultants and junior doctors plan to take industrial action together, providing only emergency cover equivalent to that provided on Christmas Day.

 “Once again, we will be using other skilled health professionals, such as clinical nurse specialists and advanced care practitioners, to deliver some services where safe and appropriate to do so, and their support continues to be invaluable to us.

“Ultimately, however, we could see hundreds of doctors walking out over the next few days and the operational impact of this, along with the personal impact on patients and their families who may have been waiting months to be seen, cannot be underestimated.”

Full details of the action are as follows:

Simon continues:

“We have been reviewing our services ahead of time to work out which clinics can continue, but there will inevitably be procedures postponed and appointments rearranged. Our key advice to patients is, if they have an appointment on the 19^th, 20^th, 21^st or 22^nd and they do not hear from us to reschedule,  they should continue to attend as normal. We will be in touch directly with anyone whose appointment needs to be rescheduled.

“Emergency care is also likely to find itself under pressure, so please only use our Emergency Departments if there’s a threat to life or limb, and for all other health complaints, please use NHS111 or other nearby community health services. “