Sufferers can be left stranded in hospital this Christmas on account of junior physician strikes, Well being Secretary Victoria Atkins has warned.
She stated walkouts have been “not the way in which” to safe a greater pay rise as union bosses confronted recent fury over holding the NHS to ransom.
Hospital bosses say “virtually all” routine care can be cancelled as they prioritise emergency and pressing care throughout the 72-hour strike that started yesterday.
Ms Atkins stated the walkout “will imply that folks will keep in hospital longer as a result of hospitals won’t be able to discharge them.
“So, there can be individuals spending Christmas in hospital reasonably than at residence. That is a gigantic price for people and for his or her households. But additionally for different members of the healthcare service as a result of junior docs seem to count on consultants and others to choose up their work for them.”
Age UK, the NHS Confederation, Healthwatch England, Nationwide Voices and the Sufferers Affiliation have written to the British Medical Affiliation and the Authorities expressing concern that greater than 13,000 sufferers might be caught in hospitals over Christmas regardless of being medically match for discharge.
BMA chief Prof Philip Banfield stated it was specializing in retaining docs “with as much as £100,000 of debt, having educated for 5 years”.
