Cost of doctors strike revealed by trust

An acute hospitals trust in Shropshire spent £500,000 on covering recent industrial action by resident doctors, a meeting will be told.

Strike action over pay restoration and improved working conditions was called by the British Medical Association and saw resident doctors – formerly known as junior doctors – walking out from July 25 to 30.

Papers being presented to a meeting of The Shrewsbury & Telford Hospitals NHS Hospitals Trust this week show how the organisation, which is under financial pressure, has coped.

Reports to Thursday’s SaTH board meeting also record that the action “imposed a heavy burden on a number of our consultants”.

Rhia Boyode, the chief people officer at SaTH, writes: “The impact of Industrial Action has impacted our temporary workforce levels with 30 additional temporary doctors used to support services.

“£500k was spent on covering industrial action which is higher than previous levels of spend on industrial action seen at the trust.”

Board papers say the majority of support was provided by bank workers and the cost impact was mitigated by bringing forward a ‘cost improvement plan’ plan project from their ‘non-pay’ agenda.

The LDRS understands that the trust used more locum doctor shifts from its own staff, including consultants, to maintain more outpatient and elective theatre capacity. This meant that it had to postpone fewer outpatient and elective appointments.

Previous meetings of the trust have been told that meeting the workforce plan, and reducing the use of bank and agency workers, is crucial to hitting its financial targets.

SaTH has a ‘breakeven plan’ for this year which includes the use of £45.15 million of deficit support from the Government. 

Adam Winstanley, the trust’s acting director of finance, reports that at the end of July SaTH “has delivered a breakeven position against the breakeven plan.”

But pay, for a number of reasons not just strike action, was running a deficit to plan of £1.5m after month four.

The board papers also show that the issue of industrial action was raised at a meeting of the trust’s quality and safety assurance committee on July 29 in relation to its impact on other staff.

The report reads: “QSAC received a verbal update on the recent industrial action by resident doctors, which imposed a heavy burden on a number of our consultants.

“There was excellent support from consultants to help support the safe delivery of services.”

The QSAC report also reveals that there were no applications for derogations, which are negotiated exemptions from strike action.

The report adds that this “demonstrates effective planning.

“All professions worked together to maintain services.

“Although some appointments were cancelled, the number was smaller than previous periods of industrial action.

“Some cancer appointments had to be postponed but only for a very short time.”

The board papers also reveal that the trust is running through a range of issues to do with “improving the lives of resident doctors” to do with working conditions and practices.