Hospital bosses gearing up for another round of junior doctors’ strike

The latest industrial action by members of the British Medical Association (BMA) will be a 72-hour walkout between 7am on Wednesday, June 14 and 7am on Saturday, June 17.

It is part of an ongoing pay dispute with the Government. And it will coincide with strike action by hospital dental trainees at University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) NHS Trust.

The BMA has said pay has been cut by more than a quarter in real terms in 2008 and has called for a 35 per cent pay rise for junior doctors. But the government has said this is “unreasonable”.

The previous junior doctors’ strike, which took place across four days in April, cost UHNM £1m, trust board members were told at a meeting on Wednesday (June 7).

But the trust, which runs Royal Stoke and Stafford’s County Hospital, was not affected by the latest nurses’ strike which took place across the country on April 30 and May 1.

In her report to the board UHNM’s chief executive Tracy Bullock said: “On May 11, I received a letter from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to notify us of the intention to hold an industrial action ballot, opening on 23rd May.

"The ballot relates to a new strike mandate in respect of both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 pay years and the letter outlined the number of staff involved in the ballot, along with their department.

“The proposed closing date for the ballot was set as June 23. I will continue to update the Board on this matter as further details become available.”

Speaking at Wednesday’s meeting she told board members that the trust had received further information on ballots in relation to the BDA (British Dental Association) and Society of Radiographers.

She said: “We have received dates for the junior doctor strike action from the 14th to the 17th of this month.

“We have planned for that as we have planned for the previous strike action.

"Sadly we have become well-versed in preparing for strike action and we are prepared for all of these actions.”