Patients could be at risk during strikes, warns BMA

Changes to the way hospitals will work during resident doctor strikes could “risk patient safety”, the British Medical Association (BMA) has said.

- ELLA PICKOVER

A five-day walkout is scheduled to start on Friday and could cause significant upheaval to the NHS in England.

It is hoped the strikes could be averted by ongoing talks between the government and the Resident Doctors Committee (RDC) of the BMA.

But with just days before the strikes are due to start, the union has criticised the way the health service is preparing.

In previous walkouts, urgent and emergency services have been staffed by senior hospital doctors, including consultants, and pre-planned work was largely postponed.

But the BMA said that hospital leaders have been told to continue with scheduled non-urgent care during the fresh bout of strike action.

The union said this approach would put patients at risk.

Speaking earlier this month, NHS England boss Sir Jim Mackey said “we can’t allow this to play out in a way that it did last time”.