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ore than 67,000 hospital appointments and procedures in England have been cancelled as a result of latest strike by consultants, figures present.
Some 65,557 inpatient and outpatient appointments needed to be rescheduled on account of the commercial motion that occurred from July 20 to 22.
An additional 1,474 psychological well being and studying incapacity appointments have been rescheduled, together with 731 appointments at neighborhood hospitals, that means a complete of 67,762 appointments didn’t happen.
The figures are more likely to underestimate the true scale of disruption as not all NHS trusts have been capable of provide information for publication by NHS England.
The strike was staged by members of the British Medical Affiliation (BMA) over ranges of pay, and was the primary walkout by consultants in nearly 50 years.
The variety of inpatient and outpatient hospital appointments cancelled because the present spell of business motion started in December is 764,370.
Along with cancellations in psychological well being, studying incapacity and neighborhood settings, the general cumulative whole is just below 820,000.
A second strike in England by consultants is because of happen on August 24 and 25.
In the meantime, radiographers at 37 NHS trusts in England will start a 48-hour strike at 8am on Tuesday in a separate dispute over pay.
Junior well being minister Will Quince stated it was “disappointing that hundreds of appointments and procedures needed to be postponed over the past week on account of consultants strike motion, hindering efforts to chop NHS ready lists and impacting on affected person care”.
“As really useful by the unbiased pay evaluate physique, we’re giving consultants a 6% pay rise this yr, on high of final yr’s 4.5% improve – that means their common NHS earnings will improve to £134,000 a yr. We’ve additionally reformed pension tax guidelines in response to calls from the BMA, that means consultants can improve their tax-free pension financial savings to £60,000 a yr.
“We’re prepared to debate non-pay points, however this pay award is last so I urge the BMA to finish this pointless disruption and name off its strikes in August.”
Retaining sufferers protected is the primary precedence for trusts and they’ll preserve pulling out all of the stops to minimise disruption. However each strike is making the job more durable and dearer to offer cowl
Miriam Deakin, director of coverage and technique at NHS Suppliers, urged each side to “sit down and discuss” as she warned that the well being service “can’t go on like this”.
“Greater than 820,000 routine therapies and appointments have needed to be put again as a result of industrial motion proper throughout hospital, ambulance, psychological well being and neighborhood providers since December.
“That large quantity will leap when consultants strike once more subsequent month and a two-day strike by radiographers at some trusts this week will add to the disruption for the NHS and sufferers.
“Each strike has a knock-on impact with tens of hundreds extra appointments having to be rescheduled too.
“Belief leaders perceive the power of feeling amongst hanging employees. Eight straight months of business motion may have a long-lasting impact on already low morale and hinder efforts to chop ready lists – a Authorities precedence.
“Retaining sufferers protected is the primary precedence for trusts and they’ll preserve pulling out all of the stops to minimise disruption. However each strike is making the job more durable and dearer to offer cowl.”
