Junior doctors in Wales will begin another round of strike action today, over a long-running dispute regarding pay and conditions.
This is the second time junior doctors in Wales have gone on strike this year, with another round of industrial action expected in March, unless the dispute can be resolved between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Welsh Government.
This follows junior doctor strikes in England and Northern Ireland in recent months, while Scottish junior doctors accepted a 17.5 per cent pay increase in August from the SNP Government.
In Wales, healthcare professionals have not been offered a pay package of this magnitude. Instead, approximately 3,000 junior doctors are expected to take part in the industrial action today, raising fears that appointments could be cancelled this week.
When are juniors striking in Wales?
Thousands of NHS patients may be affected as junior doctors in Wales begin another three-day strike.
Industrial action will begin at 7am on Wednesday, 21 February and will continue until 7am on Saturday 24 February, when services are likely to resume as normal.
How will NHS care be affected?
Life-threatening care will continue as the strike commences, but people have been urged not to use hospitals unless they need urgent care.
During the strike in January, approximately 41 per cent of outpatient appointments and 61 per cent of operations were postponed across Wales, according to NHS Wales.
NHS Wales chief executive Judith Paget said: “We expect significant disruption to non-emergency and elective activities during the industrial action, with much work already been postponed.”
Patients with appointments are advised to attend as planned, unless they have been notified otherwise and service levels during the strike are expected to be similar to those offered on bank holidays.
Meanwhile, the NHS in Wales was already under severe pressure before this latest round of junior doctor strikes.
As of May 2023, a total of 20.1 per cent of patients in Wales are waiting more than a year for consultant-led specialisms, compared to 5.2 per cent of patients on similar waiting lists in England.
Why are junior doctors striking?
The BMA has rejected a five per cent pay offer from the Welsh government after they claimed they could not afford a pay increase for junior doctors.
Junior doctors say they have seen a real terms pay cut of 29.6 per cent over the last 15 years when accounting for inflation, which is triggering a staffing crisis as many junior doctors emigrate or leave the profession.
Dr Oba Babs-Osibodu and Dr Peter Fahey, co-chairs of BMA Cymru Wales’ junior doctors committee, said: “We can call off this strike today if the Welsh Government put forward a credible pay offer to form the basis of talks.
“No doctor wants to strike, but whilst those in power fail to grasp the seriousness of the situation and the strength of feeling amongst our members, we feel we have been left with no choice.”
“We aren’t asking for a pay rise – we are asking for our pay to be restored in line with inflation back to 2008 levels, when we began to receive pay cuts in real terms.
“Pay needs to be fair and competitive with other healthcare systems across the world to retain and recruit doctors and NHS staff to provide much-needed care.”
However, Welsh government health minister Eluned Morgan said: “We are disappointed that junior doctors have decided to take further industrial action in Wales, but we understand their strength of feeling about our five per cent pay offer.”
“Our offer is at the limits of the finances available to us and reflects the position reached with the other health unions.
“But we will continue to press the UK Government to pass on the funding necessary for full and fair pay rises for public sector workers.”
