“The new year is always the busiest time for the NHS, with pressures at the highest level,” said Prof Powis. “We usually see an influx of patients seeking care both after Christmas and after new year.”
“Over the last year we’ve made progress on long waiting lists – waiting lists overall were down when we published the latest figures – but there’s no doubt the strikes are making that hard.”
Asked about the impact of strikes on excess deaths – which last year reached the highest level seen since 1940, in a non-pandemic year – Prof Powis said the causes were “multifactorial” and included “disruption during the pandemic”.
Asked whether industrial action was a factor, he said: “We know that when waiting lists increase, particularly for those who are on waiting lists for time critical conditions, so that would include cancer, then there is a risk of harm to patients.”
He said that throughout the strikes and pandemic, hospitals had been asked to prioritise the most urgent cases.
Almost all routine care is expected to be affected by the six-day strike, with the focus on maintaining urgent and emergency services.
Patients are being urged to seek care if they need it.
‘This particular set of strikes is alarming’
Age UK expressed “deep concern” about the risks posed to the elderly, with fears too many will put off seeking help they need.
Paul Farmer, the chief executive at the charity, said: “Although the NHS strikes to date have seriously impacted those caught up in them, the timing and duration of this particular set of strikes is alarming. We know this is one of the busiest times of the year in the NHS, particularly for urgent and emergency care.
“We are deeply concerned about the risk this poses to older people’s health as, with the very best will in the world and efforts of staff, it will be difficult to guarantee safe and effective care for everyone who needs it.
“At Age UK we are also very concerned that older people who may be feeling unwell but are put off seeking the care they need due to the strikes. We have increasingly heard from older people, already struggling to access the help they need, now worried what ongoing strikes mean for themselves and their families on top,” he said.
Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, said she was “very concerned” about the serious impact the strike would have for weeks to come.
Ms Atkins said that in the coming days it was vital those in need sought help, including calling 999 for emergency care.
“I urge the BMA junior doctors committee to call off their strikes and come back to the negotiating table so we can find a fair and reasonable solution to end the strikes once and for all, “ she said.
“We cannot continue negotiations with the BMA junior doctor committee if we have this strike action hanging over the whole of the NHS and patients.
“I am very concerned about the impact it will have – not just during this industrial action, but the consequences it will have for consultants and other clinicians picking up the slack, for the weeks to come.
“January is typically the busiest time of the year for the NHS and these strikes will have a serious impact on patients across the country. Over 1.2 million appointments have already been rescheduled since industrial action began, including over 88,000 during last month’s strikes.”
Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “With the NHS in the grip of peak winter pressure throughout the system, this week’s strike by junior doctors couldn’t come at a worse time.”
On Tuesday, the former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said that it was “irresponsible” of medics to strike at such a difficult time of year.
The Conservative MP said: “It is a reminder of the irresponsibility of junior doctors going on strike in support of an excessive wage demand.”
‘BMA putting lives at risk’
Paul Bristow, a Tory from the Commons health committee, said that the actions of the BMA were “unthinkable” and would put lives at risk.
“The BMA junior doctor leadership can’t keep holding the country to ransom. It is an act of cruelty to make patients pay the price for their exorbitant 35 per cent pay demands,” he said.
Dr Rob Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, from the BMA’s junior doctors committee, said the union would call off strikes if given a “credible offer”.
They said: “Doctors would have liked to start the new year with the hope of an offer on pay that would lead to a better-staffed health service and a better-valued profession. Instead, doctors are still set to be paid £15.50 an hour and are being forced to go back out on strike by a Government that cannot get its act together and make the reasonable offer on pay it knows it eventually must.
The Department of Health and Social Care urged the BMA to “call off their strikes and come back to the negotiating table”.
The BMA said junior doctors’ pay has been cut by more than a quarter since 2008.
In summer 2023, the Government gave junior doctors in England an average rise of 8.8 per cent, but medics said the increase was not enough and ramped up strike efforts.
Late last year, the Government and junior doctors entered pay talks which broke down after five weeks, with medics calling more strikes.
The BMA’s committees for consultants and specialty and associate specialist doctors have agreed a deal with the Government, which is now being put to members.
It comes as analysis by Health Service Journal shows waiting times for stroke patients to get specialist care have doubled, with average waits of seven hours in 2022-23 against three and a half hours in 2019-20.
NHS England guidance states that every patient with acute stroke should be given rapid access to such care within four hours because the success of treatment such as clot busting drugs is so time critical.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
