NHS England has said hospitals are aiming to reschedule appointments cancelled due to strikes within two weeks, but warned of knock-on impacts for other patients. The announcement comes as thousands of resident doctors continue their five-day walkout across England, which began on Friday.
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England's co-national medical director for secondary care, said local trusts have managed to maintain services with "minimal disruption" despite the industrial action. However, she acknowledged the challenges facing patients whose care has been affected.
Rescheduling within two weeks
"If there's any rescheduling or postponement of surgery or appointments then the hospitals try their upmost best to get that appointment rescheduled within two weeks," Professor Pandit told BBC Breakfast. She added that even a two-week delay is distressing for patients and creates displacement issues for others scheduled during that period.
The NHS has granted three "derogations" on Friday, a process allowing hospitals to request striking doctors return to work when patient safety is at risk. Nottingham City Hospital reached an agreement with the British Medical Association (BMA) to exempt one doctor from the strike to work on the neonatal intensive care unit.
Emergency exemptions granted
A derogation was agreed for one doctor in the emergency department and another doctor in the ISGM at the Northern General Hospital. The BMA also agreed a derogation for two anaesthetists to work at University Hospital Lewisham on Saturday to ensure patient safety.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned the strike as "reckless" and said the Government would not allow the BMA to "hold the country to ransom". He stated: "We are doing everything we can to minimise" patient harm.
Prime Minister's last-minute appeal
Sir Keir Starmer made a last-minute appeal to resident doctors, saying the strikes would "cause real damage". The Prime Minister added: "Most people do not support these strikes. They know they will cause real damage."
"These strikes threaten to turn back the clock on progress we have made in rebuilding the NHS over the last year, choking off the recovery," Sir Keir Starmer said. The BMA has argued that real-terms pay has fallen by around 20 per cent since 2008, and is pushing for full "pay restoration".
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
