Hospitals could struggle to provide even “basic” levels of safety next week because of the junior doctors’ strikes, health services leaders have warned.
A four-day strike in England is scheduled to start on Tuesday with NHS bosses warning it will have the biggest impact of any industrial action this year.
The NHS Confederation has warned that patient care “rests on a knife edge” as there remains “huge uncertainty” over the level of cover trusts will be able to provide to fill shifts.
Thousands of consultants stepped in to provide cover during the last junior doctors’ strike in March. However, hospitals say it will be difficult to repeat this as many consultants have booked annual leave over the Easter break.
One hospital leader said that “where consultants covered last time, they have built time in lieu. Additionally, the next strike falls over Easter, when a lot of consultants had booked annual leave. This is all impacting on elective waiting lists”.
They added that the strike’s impact will be felt over 11 days due to reduced cover during the preceding Easter weekend and the weekend that follows the strike.
Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said: “Health leaders are bracing themselves for the most significant strikes in a decade with many aspects of patient care resting on a knife edge.
“They want to send a reassuring message to their local communities but they are deeply concerned about not being able to provide safe care as they cannot rely on the same staffing levels as they have done with previous strikes.”
Half of all NHS staff will be off work next week because of the strikes and the Easter bank holiday.
Health unions have accused the Government of not taking negotiations seriously, warning that they will only enter talks on ending the NHS walkouts if ministers indicate they are open to compensating doctors for their fall in pay since 2010.
Professor Stephen Powis, the NHS national medical director, said the strikes would add pressure to a service which is already under strain.
He said: “There is no doubt that next week will be even more challenging for NHS services, with the pressures caused by a bank holiday weekend combined with four days of industrial action - where, for 96 hours, hospitals will be without up to half of the normal medical workforce.”
