Junior doctors are going on their longest-ever strike in an aim ‘to save NHS’, says BMA chief
Another winter. Another strike. Except this time the industrial action by junior doctors will be longer than any other in NHS history.
In total, three days starting this morning. Then back out again for six consecutive days from 3-9 January.
In all, there will only be four weekdays unaffected by strike action or holidays over the next three weeks.
The action is already having a serious impact.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust has announced that Cheltenham A&E has temporarily closed until 8am on 23 December and will do so again from 8pm on 1 January until 8am on 9 January.
Strikes latest:
Action comes at ‘worst possible time’
Cheltenham A&E has temporarily closed
Professor Phil Banfield, chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) Council, told Sky News the strikes were called to protect the long-term future of the NHS which could not afford to keep losing trained doctors.
He said: “The aim is not to collapse the NHS, the aim is to save the NHS.
“We must have doctors, you cannot fly an aeroplane without pilots and we represent the skills and the expertise that patients need, and of course doctors are leaving because of a lack of valuing them in the workplace.”
The strike mandate for junior doctors expires in February. That is why they have chosen to strike in December and January.
Sky News understands junior doctors’ leaders ruled out extended industrial action right through Christmas to give the NHS some recovery time between the strikes.
Sunak condemns ‘disappointing’ strikes
Rishi Sunak told parliament the junior doctors’ actions was “disappointing”.
He said: “We have now reached a resolution with every other part of the public sector and every other part of the NHS.
“And I’d also say that it was the junior doctors who received the biggest increase in their pay through the independent public standing pay review process of around a 10% increase for a typical junior doctor.”
But BMA leaders have challenged the prime minister by saying the government’s proposal of an extra 3% pay rise for junior doctors on top of 8.8% already given would amount to a pay cut for many of its members after years of below-inflation pay rises.
And they also stress that both consultants and specialists have yet to vote in favour of the pay offers they received in January.
More than a million procedures and appointments have had to be rescheduled since industrial action began by health workers last December.
The record waiting list that stands at over 6.4 million patients needing more than 7.7 million appointments and procedures looks set to grow.
Health leaders warn that this strike action could be the most damaging yet.
Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said trust leaders are worried.
“It does mean that there will be a huge amount of concern around managing patient safety and quality during this period because urgent care will be the priority, but a lot of planned care will have to be rescheduled for later in the new year,” he said.
It is too late to call off the strikes that begin today.
But there is hope – albeit very slim – that both sides will still try to find a way to stop January’s industrial action from going ahead.
Jeremy Kranz, founder of Sentinel Global, a venture capital firm, said investors should be “discerning” and read the fine print on any stablecoin.
Politics
Labour deputy leadership candidate accuses opponent’s team of ‘throwing mud’ and briefing against her
Lucy Powell has accused Bridget Phillipson’s team of “throwing mud” and briefing against her in the Labour deputy leadership race in a special episode of Sky’s Electoral Dysfunction podcast.
With just days to go until the race is decided, Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby spoke to the two leadership rivals about allegations of leaks, questions of party unity and their political vision.
Ms Powell told Electoral Dysfunction that through the course of the contest, she had “never leaked or briefed”.
But she said of negative stories about her in the media: “I think some of these things have also come from my opponent’s team as well. And I think they need calling out.
“We are two strong women standing in this contest. We’ve both got different things to bring to the job. I’m not going to get into the business of smearing and briefing against Bridget.
“Having us airing our dirty washing, throwing mud – both in this campaign or indeed after this if I get elected as deputy leader – that is not the game that I’m in.”
Ms Powell was responding to a “Labour source” who told the New Statesman last week: “Lucy was sacked from cabinet because she couldn’t be trusted not to brief or leak.”
Ms Powell said she had spoken directly to Ms Phillipson about allegations of briefings “a little bit”.
Bridget Phillipson (l) and Lucy Powell (r) spoke to Sky News’ Beth Rigby in a special Electoral Dysfunction double-header. Pics: Reuters
Phillipson denies leaks
But asked separately if her team had briefed against Ms Powell, Ms Phillipson told Rigby: “Not to my knowledge.”
And Ms Phillipson said she had not spoken “directly” to her opponent about the claims of negative briefings, despite Ms Powell saying the pair had talked about it.
“I don’t know if there’s been any discussion between the teams,” she added.
On the race itself, the education secretary said it would be “destabilising” if Ms Powell is elected, as she is no longer in the cabinet.
“I think there is a risk that comes of airing too much disagreement in public at a time when we need to focus on taking the fight to our opponents.
“I know Lucy would reject that, but I think that is for me a key choice that members are facing.”
She added: “It’s about the principle of having that rule outside of government that risks being the problem. I think I’ll be able to get more done in government.”
👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈
Insider vs outsider
But Ms Powell, who was recently sacked by Sir Keir Starmer as leader of the Commons, said she could “provide a stronger, more independent voice”.
“The party is withering on the vine at the same time, and people have got big jobs in government to do.
“Politics is moving really, really fast. Government is very, very slow. And I think having a full-time political deputy leader right now is the political injection we need.”
The result of the contest will be announced on Saturday 25 October.
The deputy leader has the potential to be a powerful and influential figure as the link between members and the parliamentary Labour Party, and will have a key role in election campaigns. They can’t be sacked by Sir Keir as they have their own mandate.
The contest was triggered by the resignation of Angela Rayner following a row over her tax affairs. She was also the deputy prime minister but this position was filled by David Lammy in a wider cabinet reshuffle.
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