Birmingham Hospitals braced for longest ever NHS doctors strike in history

Hospitals across Birmingham are braced for junior doctors to take the longest single consecutive strike in the history of the NHS.

British Medical Association (BMA) junior doctors are tomorrow (Wednesday, January 3) set to walk out for six days in a major escalation of their ongoing pay dispute with the government.

Thousands of appointments are expected to be cancelled. Strike action by NHS staff between September 19 to 23 saw huge numbers of cancellations:

• University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust saw 1,053 appointments or operations cancelled - with the annual total up to September (excluding December strikes) at 14,240
• Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust cancelled 1,062 appointments or operations between September 19 and 23 - with the annual total up to September (excluding December strikes) at 5,904
• Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust cancelled 708 appointments or operations over 12 months up to September (excluding December strikes)
• The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust cancelled 181 appointments or operations between September 19 and 23 - with the annual total up to September (excluding December strikes) at 856

Ahead of the walkout local health bosses had warned of 'significant' disruption for both the December strike and the forthcoming January action. The latest walkout begins at 7am tomorrow and will continue until 7am on Tuesday (January 9) next week.

NHS National Medical Director Professor Sir Stephen Powis has warned six days of strikes will have an "enormous impact". He said: “This January could be one of the most difficult starts to the year the NHS has ever faced.

“Six consecutive days of industrial action comes at one of our busiest periods – the action will not only have an enormous impact on planned care, but comes on top of a host of seasonal pressures such as covid, flu, and staff absences due to sickness – all of which is impacting on how patients flow through hospitals.

“Our colleagues across the health service are doing their very best for patients every day with extensive preparations in place, but there’s no doubt they are starting 2024 on the back foot – not only will action impact next week, it will continue to have a serious impact in the weeks after, as we recover services and deal with additional demand.

“However, I cannot stress enough that people who need care must come forward as they usually would – using 999 and A&E in life threatening emergencies and 111 online for everything else.”