The start of 2024 could be one of the toughest starts to a year the NHS has ever faced, Professor Sir Stephen Powis has warned as an almost-week-long bout of industrial action from junior doctors kicks off today.
The strikes, which are led by the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, will last for six days until 7am on Tuesday 9 January – something that will have an “enormous impact” on planned care according to NHS England’s medical director, Prof Powis.
The strikes also constitute the longest ever continuous period of industrial action in the NHS’s history.
As the health service battles what can be the busiest week of the entire year, the strikes could not have come at a worse time, according to NHS Providers’ chief executive, Sir Julian Hartley.
Hartley said: "Trust leaders are starting 2024 as they ended 2022, having to spend too much time planning for and coping with industrial action instead of putting all their energy into cutting waiting lists and giving patients first-class care.”
The last year of industrial action has led to over 1.2 million planned appointments being postponed, costing the NHS around £2bn.
"Now the longest-ever strike in NHS history will mean many more thousands of patients face delays and disruption on top of the equivalent of one and a half calendar months lost to industrial action since over the last year,” added Hartley.
Dr Emma Runswick, the deputy chair of the BMA Council said that junior doctors are ready to get back to negotiations.
“We will engage in talks at any time,” Dr Runswick, who works in a community mental health team in Greater Manchester, recently told BBC Newsnight.
Sir Julian Hartley concluded: "We need a speedy resolution to this dispute as we see the risk of industrial action by other staff returning in our health services."
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