NHS medical services will be affected
NHS bosses have issued a warning to anyone requiring medical attention from tomorrow, November 14. The alert comes as resident doctors, formerly called junior doctors, prepare to launch a five-day walkout from Friday morning – following the collapse of negotiations between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Government.
NHS England has urged the public to continue using 111 for medical advice – or 999 in life-threatening emergencies. An update on the organisation’s official X account reads: “From Friday and into next week, some NHS services will be affected due to strike action. Please continue to come forward for NHS care.
“If you need urgent medical help, use 111, and if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency, please call 999.” The ongoing dispute between the BMA and ministers has already resulted in 12 previous strikes.
Last week, the BMA turned down a new proposal from Health Secretary Wes Streeting, which included covering mandatory exam costs and Royal college membership fees. The Health Secretary had also pledged to accelerate the expansion of training places beyond the original timeline.
Mr Streeting has insisted he will not reopen pay negotiations after resident doctors secured salary increases totalling nearly 30 per cent over the past three years. However, the BMA maintains that despite these rises, resident doctors’ salaries remain a fifth lower than 2008 levels when adjusted for inflation.