26th November 2015
A review published this week examining past industry actions shows that doctor strikes do not increase risks to patient healthcare. The findings contradict comments made by the health secretary who last week claimed that recent junior doctor action ‘poses a serious threat’ to patient safety.
The report stated no decline in patient mortality, and that in two strikes by junior doctors in New Zealand and Spain, senior staff were able to provide sufficient emergency care – with indicators of care quality unaltered. The paper’s authors concluded that ‘previous strikes have shown that it is possible to disrupt elective services while ensuring that emergencies are treated promptly and effectively’. They added that ‘doctors in high-income countries can be reassured by the consistent evidence that patients do not come to serious harm during industrial action, provided that provisions are made for emergency care.’
The study comes as junior doctors prepare to go on strike next week in the first of three days planned industrial action, following a BMA ballot in which an overwhelming 98% of junior doctor members voted in favour of an all-out strike, on a 76% turn-out. The strike has been called over a protracted dispute with the Government regarding changes to the junior doctors’ contract, which the BMA says will cut doctors’ pay and put patients at risk from unsafe working hours. The first planned walk-out – which looks set to go ahead despite the Government’s U-turn on attending conciliation talks – is due next Tuesday, 1st December when junior doctors will provide emergency care only for 24 hours. After that a full walk-out – with no emergency cover – is planned from 8am to 5pm on Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 16th December.
Tory MP and Health Committee chair Dr Sarah Wollaston, a former GP, who has called on the Government to withdraw from its position over the contract, has also condemned the BMA’s planned strike action which she said was ‘highly unsafe’ and would inevitably put patients at risk of ‘significant harm’. Despite the political worry, BMA leaders assured that they deliberately gave the Government and NHS chiefs enough notice to sort out emergency plans. Declining to comment on the above study directly, the body cited a previous statement when the plans for strike action were announced in September; wanting to ‘give as much notice as possible about the potential action in order to ensure that the necessary cover can be put in place to minimise disruption to other NHS staff and, above all, to patients.’
A Department of Health spokesperson said: ‘This research does not show strikes are safe – it is naive to assume large scale action can be undertaken without causing harm...Alongside NHS leaders and Royal Colleges, we urge the BMA to come back to the table to talk and withdraw strike action immediately.’