Hospitals will come under pressure this weekend as they struggle to deal with a “lethal backlog” from the junior doctors' strike and bank holiday opening hours, NHS officials and campaigners have warned.
Following an unprecedented two day strike by junior doctors protesting the proposed new contract, it is feared a back log will have grown as people avoided hospitals during the strike but will now seek medical help. This weekend is also a bank holiday which means that many GPs and other medical services will have a three day weekend, straining stretched services even further.
NHS officials have warned members of the public to stock up on medical supplies from pharmacies in preparation.
A spokesperson for NHS England told The Independent: “There is likely to be a knock-on effect from the strikes as hospitals get back to normal working, and this could add to the pressures this May Bank Holiday weekend. But the NHS has been working to ensure sufficient out of hospital capacity is in place to meet predicted levels of demand.”
“It’s important the public know how to play their part over the Bank Holiday. As with our successful winter and Easter planning, this Bank Holiday weekend in an emergency they should of course dial 999 or go to A&E. But we would also ask them to make use of NHS Choices and NHS 111 for urgent advice and access to out of hours GPs. They should also stock up on their regular medicines and seek advice from their local pharmacist.”
Joyce Robin from Patient Concern said: “I am deeply concerned about the situation we are heading towards- and I’m furious about it. We have got all these patients who heeded advice to try and keep away from A&E during the past two days, on top of all those already stacked up because treatment was cancelled in previous strikes. With a bank holiday coming up, and GPs closed for three days, I’m really fearful that this backlog could prove lethal.”
The unprecedented strikes were called after talks between junior doctors and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt broke down over negotiations surrounding the proposed new junior doctors contract. Mr Hunt described the strike as a “very, very bleak day for the NHS”.
