Emergency, urgent and critical care will be prioritised by the NHS this week as strike action by junior doctors across the South East causes major disruption to services.
Industrial action by junior doctors part of the BMA and the HCSA began yesterday morning at 07:00 with those striking planning to line the picket until the same time on Thursday morning – a whole 72 hours.
A small handful of workers were seen at the picket on Monday morning.
The Isle of Wight NHS trust has said that it is doing its best to reduce the impact of industrial action on its many services.
During this time, the NHS will prioritise resources to protect emergency and critical care, maternity care and where possible prioritise patients who have waited the longest for elective care and cancer surgery.
To make sure safe care continues to be available for those in life-threatening situations, NHS staff will be asked to prioritise emergency and urgent care over some routine appointments and procedures – but these will only be cancelled where unavoidable and patients will be offered an alternative date as soon as possible.
Acosia Nyanin, South East Regional Chief Nurse, said:
“The NHS has been working incredibly hard to mitigate the impact of this strike. While we are doing what we can to avoid having to reschedule appointments, there’s no doubt that disruption will be much more severe than before and patients who have been waiting for some time will face postponements across many treatment areas. Where there are postponements, we’ll be trying to re-book as quickly as possible. However, it is vital to attend planned appointments unless told otherwise.
Article continues below this advertisement “We have no option but to prioritise emergency and critical care as a matter of patient safety, and we’re asking the public to help us and use 111 online as well as local services like general practice and pharmacies as first points of call, but people should of course always use 999 in a life-threatening emergency.”
To ensure help can be prioritised to those who need it most, the NHS is asking the public to continue to access healthcare services appropriately, using NHS 111 online or calling 111 where possible for non-urgent needs on strike days.
111 can direct you to the best place to get help, with call handlers able to triage to the most appropriate service, including advising where attending A&E urgently may be needed.
The NHS will contact anyone who will need to reschedule appointments so if you have not been contacted then you should attend as usual.
Tell you what,charge the junior Doctors the full cost thier training is costing the tax payers.
Or when your called Mr instead of Doctor and on £300,000 a year pay it back.
I think you’ll find it’s not free. It’s called a student loan, so they are required to pay it back.
Sucks to be you, mine was free in the 70s
Aren’t you a breath of fresh air, Terry?
We’re so glad that you managed to get your higher education for free back in the 70’s. Sadly though, we now have to pay for our higher education, to serve those that need us most – but, let’s hope we never have to come across you, as you clearly don’t think we deserve the pay that we’re asking for. Perhaps you should come work as a doctor and see what we really do – and I’m not talking about GP’s, I’m talking about hospital doctors who work relentlessly all day and all night.
I’d like you to be responsible for nearly 300 patients over night, all by yourself and then you tell me if £14 an hour cuts it?
Cos I’m damn sure it wouldn’t!
Actually the cost of a 5 year medical degree course (BMBS) is in the order of £300,000. The tuition fees only cover £46,000 of that.
However, that is beside the point. This country needs to decide if it wants the NHS or not. If it doesn’t then medical students will foot the entire cost of their training and will pass the full cost of that training onto their patients via the medical insurance they will need once the NHS is no more.
That is what people like “Terry” need to think about. My sister and her partner in the US are currently paying $1100 a month between them in medical insurance. I wonder if “Terry” could afford that,
If they did that then only the children of the very richest families could afford it and they would be selected on their ability to pay rather than just their ability.
As it is, junior doctors typically start their Foundation year with over £70,000 of student debt from their 5 year medical degree, not to mention the amount the “bank of mum and dad” have to fork out because the maintenance loan doesn’t even come close to covering living costs.
Only surgeons are called “Mister” (or Miss / Ms). The rest are just Dr
The NHS is losing doctors at a frightening rate. If they don’t get a decent pay rise the NHS is finished. I hope you can afford the £500 to £1000 a month med insurance if that happens.
How about this ‘Terry’…
Doctors train for 5-6 years before they can’t start their career – to only be paid £14p/h – which at the moment is the same as a coffee barista in the chain Pret.
How is pouring coffees equivalent to saving peoples lives? Oh, that’s right, it’s not!
But, good on Pret for valuing their workforce enough to offer them a pay rise.
The NHS isn’t doing that – instead they’re pushing the NHS workforce to strike in order to make their points heard…
But let’s be honest, why I’m explaing this to you, I don’t know, because you seem like the kind of person that you can’t do wrong for right for.
Let’s hope you don’t need the NHS anytime soon, cause frankly, they could do without your negativity.
Where are you getting the sum £300,000 from?
Consultants start on £88,000 and can max out at £120,000 after nearly 20 years of being a consultant.
The term junior doctor starts from those fresh out of medical school, to those just below consultant…
I’m sure if doctors choose to do private work, then they probably earn more, but if they’re being paid what they’re worth, why the hell not?
You ooze jealousy, and as though you carry a chip on your shoulder…perhaps you’re bitter that you never achieved such things in your lifetime…or perhaps your just like to moan and put others down.
Don’t use the NHS anytime soon, we have enough to deal with without your ridiculous comments.