Junior doctors to stage 72-hour walkout next week in campaign for fairer pay
Junior doctors in north Wales will stage a three day strike as part of an ongoing dispute over fair pay.
The industrial action is set to begin at 7 am on Monday, 15 January, and continue until 7am on Thursday, 18 January 2024.
It comes after junior doctors voted overwhelmingly in December to hold a 72-hour walkout.
According to BMA Cymru Wales junior doctor pay has been cut by nearly a third (29.6%) in real terms since 2008/9.
Over 3,000 doctors are expected to withdraw their labour from hospitals and GP surgeries across Wales.
Judith Paget, the head of the Welsh NHS, has said that non-emergency procedures will be cancelled during this period.
She stated: “It will be very difficult for us to run services as normal.”
In North Wales Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is warning that the strike will cause disruption to its services.
A health board spokesperson said: “Please be aware that industrial action by junior doctors is due to take place in Wales between 7am on Monday, 15 January and continue until 7am on Thursday, 18 January 2024.
“This is likely to impact access to our hospital services and we are currently working hard with our staff to plan for this period of industrial action so that our patients and the public understand what it means for them.
“We will share more details shortly, however if your planned care appointment is impacted then you will be contacted directly.”
Dr Oba Babs-Osibodu and Dr Peter Fahey co-chairs of BMA Cymru Wales’ junior doctors committee said: ““We aren’t asking for a pay rise – we are asking for our pay to be restored in line with inflation back to 2008 levels, when we began to receive pay cuts in real terms.
“Pay needs to be fair and competitive with other healthcare systems across the world to retain and recruit doctors and NHS staff to provide much-needed care.
“On top of this junior doctors are experiencing worsening conditions and so doctors are now looking to leave Wales to develop their careers for better pay and a better quality of life elsewhere.
“This is not a decision that has been made lightly. No doctor wants to take industrial action, but we have been given no choice.
“Doctors are already voting with their feet and leaving the NHS and we are in a vicious cycle of crippling staffing shortages and worsening patient care.”
The strike coincides with a challenging time for the NHS.
Health service pressures are particularly acute in Wales, where a “Business Continuity Incident” was declared at Wrexham Maelor Hospital on Friday (January 5).
Such an ‘incident’ is something that interrupts routine service delivery and requires a response – usually from a preprepared plan – with special arrangements required to be implemented until services can return to an acceptable level.
Adele Gittoes, Interim Executive Director of Operations for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “We declared a Business Continuity Incident at Wrexham Maelor Hospital on Friday due to prolonged and unprecedented demands on our services and it was stood down on Saturday.
“We continue to see a high volume of patients attending our Emergency Departments and are working closely with colleagues across the health and social care system, Welsh Government and the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust to identify ways to alleviate these pressures and improve the experience of our patients.
“We are urging members of the public who need help to contact NHS 111 Wales in the first instance to be advised about the most appropriate service, which might be self-care at home, a visit to the pharmacy, a GP appointment, a Minor Injuries Unit, or, in life threatening circumstances, the hospital Emergency Department.
“As always, our Emergency Departments will remain open and will see patients in order of clinical priority.
“However, we regret that those who do attend will face extremely long waits to be seen while staff on duty do all they can to keep patients safe.”
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