Strike sees record number of requests for doctors to return from picket line

Hospitals made a record number of requests for striking doctors to return to the wards over the weekend, as a five-day walkout prompted safety fears for patients.

- REBECCA THOMAS HEALTH CORRESPONDENT

NHS England’s figures, as of yesterday, showed 58 requests for “derogations” had been submitted. Of these, eight were approved, 23 declined, 15 were withdrawn, and the remainder are still pending a decision.

There has so far been a record number of approvals by the British Medical Association (BMA) compared to previous strike rounds, according to NHS data. The BMA said hospitals had asked for more than 125 resident doctors - formerly known as junior doctors - to be pulled off the picket lines during the walkout.

The union has claimed some of those pleas were made inappropriately and had to be refused, while those that had been granted had to be revoked. It also said there had been incidents where patient safety was at risk due to trusts not having enough staff to cover emergency care. Resident doctors began their strike over pay on Friday. The walkout is set to end at 7am tomorrow.

The BMA’s resident doctors committee has asked the government for a 29 per cent pay increase to address what it says has been a more than 20 per cent erosion of their pay since 2008. However, talks between doctors and health secretary Wes Streeting broke down last week.