Planned strike action by junior doctors has been described as “scary” by Liverpool’s chief medical officer.
Last month, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced a three-day walk out by junior doctors across England, claiming they had been left with no choice. Medical professionals will leave their posts at hospitals, including many across Liverpool, for 72 hours between March 13 and 15.
Jim Gardner, medical director at Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust, told a meeting of its board how preparations were going ahead of the industrial action. He said: “I think it’s scary, but we are as well prepared as we can be.”
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Dr Gardner said he felt the trust had made good progress around remuneration issues to date, working with human resources officials. He added how during the industrial action period, the Trust will “try to maintain active care as best we can.”
The medical director warned however some services would have to be withdrawn as a result of the junior doctor strikes. He said: “Looking at lots of things that may need to step down to ensure we have capacity.
“There will be a lot of elective activity going on but there will be a step down. In a written update, chief executive James Sumner said the trust will continue to manage each planned strike via its emergency planning process, with tactical control rooms in place.
Further walk outs by members of Unison and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists had been planned for March 20 and 22 respectively but have been postponed as talks are ongoing. According to Mr Sumner’s written update, the BMA intends its three day demonstration to be an “all out” strike, with no exemptions granted to services due to the nature of the work they do.
Representatives of the BMA met with health secretary Steve Barclay MP last week in a bid to avert the industrial action but described talks as “disappointing.” Announcing the strike action in February, the BMA said it had been left with “no choice” to stage the action.
Junior doctors will walk out from hospitals across England and Liverpool from 7am on March 13. It is the latest round of strikes by NHS staff following mass industrial action by members of the Royal College of Nurses and ambulance staff earlier this year and in 2022 in a row over pay and conditions.
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