‘Grave concerns’ if NHS strikes continue through winter

Oct 5, 2023

King's Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield.

By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter

The Chief Executive at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, which runs King’s Mill Hospital and Newark Hospital, has “grave concerns” if NHS industrial action continues through the winter.

Junior doctors and consultants staged a three-day joint walkout in England this week from October 2 to 4.

Last month the two groups went on a 24-hour strike together for the first time. They have also held industrial action separately.

The British Medical Association said its members would provide “Christmas Day” cover – meaning that emergency care is staffed but there is minimal cover elsewhere.

At the Sherwood Forest Hospitals board on October 5, hospital leaders discussed the recent industrial action.

Board papers said: “At the time of writing before the October industrial action is due to take place, the Trust has had little option but to postpone more than 5,441 appointments, procedures, and operations in 2023 in order to prioritise safe urgent and emergency care across all periods of industrial action.

“At the time of writing, the financial cost of this year’s industrial action to Sherwood Forest Hospitals now stands at more than £1.6million – a figure that will continue to rise, including once the financial impact of the October strikes have been calculated.”

Paul Robinson, Chief Executive, said: “Christmas Day cover was maintained – but Christmas Day demands only happen on Christmas Day.

“Patient procedures are impacted and our colleagues are really feeling this.

“We clearly hope for a conclusion very soon. I have grave concerns if the action continues through winter.”

The Government announced a “final and fair” pay rise for junior doctors and consultants in the summer.

Consultants are being given six per cent and junior doctors an average of 8.8 per cent. No further talks are planned.

David Selwyn, medical director at SFH, said there had been a “very significant” number of cancellations in the latest round of strikes, with some operations for urgent care and cancer patients had been cancelled.

He said: “From my point of view it is a terrible, terrible situation.

“Both sides need to really wake up and show some national leadership and put an end to this.”

He added that 45 per cent of consultants took part in the most recent strikes, compared to 33 per cent in the last round of industrial action.

He said: “This is yet another unprecedented event.

“It comes at a real cost to our colleagues, our organisation and our patients.

“The national waiting lists now are close to eight million and the national cost is over one billion.

“No further action has been announced as far as I’m aware, there are also no talks in progress.

“This is a national dispute between the British Medical Association and the Government and we are rather caught in the middle of this.”

Mr Selwyn added his concern is for the patients who are waiting for operations.

A record 7.7 million people are waiting for hospital care in England.

He said: “The impact for some of them who have been waiting for an operation which then gets cancelled, and then gets cancelled again and again.

“I think it is easy for us to underestimate, that has an impact not just on that patient but across the whole family unit.”

Rachel Eddie, Chief Operating Officer, added: “I’d just reinforce the pressure it’s putting on all of us being able to address our other priorities at the moment, particularly going into a potentially very challenging winter.

“This affects all of our teams, the focus is on medical staff but the admin staff are having to deal with patient’s appointments being cancelled, sometimes multiple times.”