Thousands of junior doctors across England continued their historic strike action for a second day on Friday, as a dispute over pay and working conditions remains deadlocked. The walkout, which began on Wednesday, marks the longest healthcare strike in NHS history and has already resulted in the postponement of thousands of surgeries and appointments.
As doctors and NHS managers dig in on both sides of the picket lines, fears are rising over the impacts on patient care, especially amid a surge in flu and COVID-19 cases that is battering hospitals. However, many junior doctors insist that the long-term retention of qualified staff depends on resolving issues over excessive workloads and real-term pay cuts.
Progress in Talks Stymied by Disagreements Over Pay
The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents junior doctors and called for the strike actions, has accused Health Secretary Steve Barclay of refusing to discuss pay despite numerous requests. BMA junior doctor committee co-chair Dr Robert Laurenson said:
“The health secretary is still not talking to us about pay – the one reason we are stood on picket lines today. Until he’s prepared to negotiate with us, we will continue with planned strike action.”
Meanwhile, Barclay has asserted that the BMA walked away from previous negotiations last month instead of continuing talks. He wrote on Twitter:
“Despite the considerable inconvenience & disruption the BMA’s strikes will cause, my door remains open to continue talks.”
This fundamental impasse over salary increases threatens to perpetuate the standoff between the two sides. The BMA is seeking pay rises closer to inflation levels, which reached a 41-year high of 11.1% in October, while ministers have stuck to more modest offers capped at 4.5%.
| Date | Offer |
|---|---|
| July 2022 | 2% pay rise |
| October 2022 | Between 4.5% to 5% pay rise over 2 years |
Without significant movement from either position, hopes for a quick resolution look increasingly dim. That raises the spectre of further walkouts down the line in the absence of a deal.
Disarray in Hospitals As Thousands of Appointments Cancelled
According to NHS England data, more than 30,000 elective care appointments have already been postponed due to the junior doctor strikes, in addition to around 10,000 non-urgent operations.
While emergency services and critical care at hospitals will continue during the industrial action, several NHS trusts have warned of significant disruptions. For instance, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust was forced to reschedule around 700 outpatient appointments on January 3 alone.
In many cases, patients themselves are left confused and frustrated over communications regarding appointment changes. Brian Martin, a 67-year old awaiting knee surgery, told The Times:
“I turned up for my operation only to be told at the hospital entrance that it was cancelled. Nobody contacted me last week to let me know.”
Hospitals are also under extreme pressure due to unusually high occupancy rates for this time of year. Beds are over 90% full on average, compared to 80-85% normally. That allows little room to handle excess patients displaced from cancelled clinics and elective procedures.
Government and Health Bosses Demand Return to Negotiations
As the strike entered its second day, both NHS England chief Amanda Pritchard and health minister Barclay doubled down on calls for junior doctors to return to discussions rather thanremain on picket lines.
Barclay insisted during a hospital visit that the NHS would continue collecting data on potential patient harm resulting from the strikes. However, the BMA dismissed this move as “an attempt to undermine the resolve of junior doctors taking lawful and principled industrial action.”
Nevertheless, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also weighed in to urge a resumption of talks. During a speech on Friday, he argued:
“We want to have an honest and reasonable conversation about what is affordable for the country in pay rises… I appeal to the union leaders even now to get back round the table where we have those honest conversations about what is responsible, what is reasonable and what is affordable for our nation.”
Public Support Behind Doctors Over Government and NHS Bosses
While the strike has caused major headaches for hospital administrators, public backing has remained firmly behind the junior doctors. An opinion poll on January 3 found that 57% of UK adults supported the industrial action.
In contrast, only 36% opposed the walkout. That surpasses the support doctors received during their last major strike in 2016 and likely reflects wider cost of living pressures affecting British households. As one commentator noted, “Nurses and junior doctors need and deserve our support, as their fight is our fight.”
If the government hopes to sway public opinion, it may need to put forward an improved offer first. However, the lack of finances available amid a weakened economy makes that a difficult proposition. For now, the two warring factions appear no closer to a resolution than when picket lines first formed.
What Happens Next?
The initial batch of strike days runs until Sunday January 8, providing a narrow window for eleventh-hour negotiations.
Beyond that, the BMA has clearly signaled that further walkouts could quickly follow if demands remain unaddressed. With the wider labor movement emboldened and union bosses coordinating solidarity action, that could heap even more pressure on already overloaded hospitals.
Yet the government insists that astronomically high inflation tying wage growth to prices rather than productivity is unsustainable. Unless junior doctors moderate expectations closer to ministers’ bottom lines, the impasse seems destined to continue. That leaves thousands of patients bearing the brunt of the consequences in the form of delayed and cancelled care.
For NHS trusts on the frontlines, the focus rests on mitigating the turmoil as best as possible. Though contingency plans allow emergency rooms to keep running, already massive appointment backlogs seem poised to grow even further. Yet with neither side backing down over issues they consider fundamental, quick relief looks unlikely barring an unexpected compromise.
That means winter NHS pressures are only compounding long-running disputes over pay and working environments. Ultimately, patients old and new stand to suffer the most as political squabbling hinders medical care delivery. Only time will tell whether the sad spectacle of treatment delays and rallies can shock both government and health worker representatives back toward common ground for reaching an accord.
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