Junior doctors from the Royal Bolton Hospital have walked out today in the ongoing dispute over pay which has led to them taking strike action several times.
Today, August 11, is the first day in the latest strike action which will continue until 7am, Tuesday August 15.
This morning, there were four junior doctors on the picket line at Royal Bolton Hospital holding banners which said '£14/hour is not a fair wage for a junior doctor, full pay restoration now'.
Drivers going past the picket line honked their car horns in support of the junior doctors striking.
Accident and emergency doctor Joseph Williams and British Medical Association representative for junior doctors in Bolton said: “We’re striking because we’ve had a 26 per cent real terms pay cut, as our pay has not kept up with inflation since 2008.
“This pay cut has led to bad working conditions, long waiting times and harm to patients, as we just don’t have enough doctors to look after everyone.
“This pay cut has led to many doctors leaving the job, either to countries which pay better, or leaving medicine completely.
“We have been asking the government for restoration of our pay back to 2008 levels, but they haven’t been listening to us - that’s why we’re striking.
“The pay deal that has been offered has been six per cent and £1,250, which is still less than inflation this year, so we will continue to strike until the government makes a credible offer to restore our pay.
“We don’t want to have to strike, but it’s reached a crisis point - pay restoration will help both patients and doctors.”
Medical director Dr Francis Andrews at Royal Bolton Hospital said: “Thank you for your patience during rounds of industrial action and as some of our services are affected as a result.
“We will be putting our tried and tested plans in place to help ensure the impact felt is as minimal as possible, however please remember that if you have an urgent or emergency care need, we are here for you.
“Any non-urgent or non-life-threatening care need can be helped by using 111.nhs.uk, speaking with your GP or your pharmacist, or by using self-care, but please do use 999 in an emergency.
“We know the impact is huge on everyone but most importantly on those patients affected.
“Our teams will be doing everything they can to help and support people during this time and with rearranging any affected appointments and procedures.
“If you have not been contacted to say your appointment has been cancelled, please make sure you still attend.”
Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairs of the British Medical Association’s junior doctors committee, said: “We are now at the stage where a whole new cohort of junior doctors is entering the profession, only to be immediately given no choice by the Government but to go on strike for their future.
“The Government should be ashamed that this is the state of the profession they are presenting to our newest doctors.
“If they want a health service that retains this talent for decades to come, they need to come to the table – not in weeks, not in months, but today. This dispute should never have gone on so long.”
They added that the BMA’s “door remains open for talks at any time” with the Government.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay warned that patients are “bearing the brunt of the impact of continuous strikes” and the latest spell “will cause more appointments and procedures to be postponed”.
He added: “My door is always open to discuss how to improve doctors’ working lives, but this pay award is final, so I urge the BMA to end its strikes immediately.”
NHS representatives have expressed dismay over the ongoing fallout from industrial action.
So far, almost 835,000 appointments have been postponed as a result of industrial action since December across the health service in England, according to NHS figures.
The latest round of strike action from British Medical Association (BMA) junior doctors will end at 7am on Tuesday August 15.
The NHS has urged the public to continue to use 999 for life-threatening emergencies and 111 online for anything non-urgent.
It said GPs and pharmacies are also open and largely unaffected by strikes.
Meanwhile, patients should attend their appointment as usual unless they have been told that it is to be rescheduled, it added.
If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno.
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