Health system gears up for resident doctor strikes

Health and social care leaders are ‘working as a system to plan for the Easter challenges” of the latest strike by resident doctors.

A meeting heard that the two days of bank holidays during the Easter period are already something that the NHS plans for and the latest BMA strike action adds to that.

Resident doctors in England, formerly known as junior doctors, will strike from the day after Easter Monday from 7am on April 7 until 6:59am on April 13. If it goes ahead it will be the 15th round of strikes.

Phil Smith, the chief system development and integration officer, at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and NHS Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent told a joint meeting of both organisations that plans are being put in place.

“We are working as a system to plan for Easter.”

He added that it “presents some challenges in respect of activity. We are working hard to put in plans across urgent and emergency care.”

After the meeting Simon Whitehouse the ICB ‘cluster’ chief executive reiterated advice to the public for previous strikes which included that they should attend scheduled appointments as planned.

Advice issued during previous strikes: https://www.shropshiretelfordandwrekin.nhs.uk/news/november-junior-doctor-strikes/