Less than a third of resident doctors joined last week's five-day strike action, NHS England has revealed. The participation rate dropped by 7.5% compared to the previous walkout in July last year, with 1,243 fewer doctors taking part according to early management data.
The British Medical Association has strongly disputed these figures, arguing that complex work schedules and doctors taking annual leave make such calculations "almost impossible to know". The union questioned NHS England's methodology and called for "hard and fast data" to support the claims.
NHS maintains more patient care
NHS England said it managed to maintain care for an estimated 10,000 more patients during the latest strike compared to last year's action. Around 93% of planned operations, tests and procedures went ahead, a significant improvement from previous walkouts when the majority of non-urgent care was postponed.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting (Labour) welcomed the data, saying a majority of resident doctors didn't vote for strike action. He thanked those who continued working for their "commitment to their patients and to our shared mission to rebuild the NHS".
Government urges end to disputes
Streeting called for an end to the "cycle of disruption" and urged the BMA to work with the Government in good faith. He said it was time to "move past" the dispute and focus on improving working conditions for resident doctors rather than pursuing "more reckless strike action".
The BMA defended its position, saying NHS England's claim that most of the country's 77,000 resident doctors chose to work required "a huge stretch of the imagination". The union pointed out that many doctors use remaining annual leave in July before starting new posts, which wouldn't show up as striking.
Trust leaders express concern
NHS chief executive Sir James Mackey acknowledged that care was still disrupted for thousands of people and warned that repeat strike action would be "unacceptable". He urged the resident doctors committee to return to negotiations and work on meaningful improvements to working conditions.
NHS Providers, representing hospital trusts, said the walkout took a toll and expressed concern about potential wider industrial action across the health service. Deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said the dispute "can't drag on" and called for an end to "disruptive strikes where the only people being punished are patients".
The union maintains that strikes could be avoided if Streeting comes to the table with a credible offer that resident doctors in England can accept. Talks are due to resume as both sides seek to resolve the ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions.
(PA/London) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
