Trust CEOs’ strike warning: ‘If anyone gets sick, we’re stuffed’
The leaders of acute trusts across England have told HSJ the second junior doctor’s strike ‘feels very different’ from the first stoppage, and services are much more vulnerable because of ‘thinner’ consultant coverage.
They also reported that the instruction from NHS England not to proactively cancel elective procedures and apppointments has been largely ignored by trusts.
The chief executive of a large trust in the east of England said they were “more concerned about clinical safety than at any time during covid surges”.
A trust CEO in the North West told HSJ this week’s stoppage “feels much more risky than the previous strike. We have managed to cover rotas but we are very stretched and concerned about short notice cancellation from agencies and short term sickness after bank holiday.”
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Source: HSJ, 11 April 2023