Officials at the National Health Service are concerned that the safety of patients may be at risk during the upcoming strikes by junior doctors. They are urging doctors to adhere to the agreement that picket lines will be abandoned if hospitals reach a state of overwhelming demand due to the winter crisis.
During the upcoming six-day strike starting on Wednesday, hospital administrators have the option to request assistance from the British Medical Association (BMA) in allowing junior doctors to resume their work if an urgent situation arises.
However, health trust leaders are worried that the doctors’ union may refuse or take an excessively long time to review “recall requests” despite understaffed hospitals being unable to handle a sudden increase in patient volume. This could pose a significant risk to the hospitals’ already vulnerable status.
The NHS is currently facing increased pressure due to a rise in flu, Covid, and norovirus cases during the first week of the new year, a time when its usual winter challenges are at their peak.
Before the 144-hour strike, the longest in the history of the NHS, the NHS Confederation, which represents trusts, urged the BMA to guarantee the effectiveness of the “recall system” in case it was activated.
Danny Mortimer, deputy chief executive of the confederation, stated that the upcoming junior doctors strikes are happening during a particularly hectic week for the NHS. Health leaders are optimistic that escalation plans will go smoothly and that everyone involved will prioritize the safety of patients above all else.
According to a deal made between the BMA and NHS England, hospital leaders have the authority to request that the doctors’ union permits striking medical professionals to bypass picket lines and work in cases of “unforeseen events, significant emergencies, and unforeseen and extreme circumstances.”
It is uncertain if the BMA will concur that any circumstance where a hospital faces difficulties in the upcoming week due to winter pressures qualifies as a “major incident.”
A high-ranking NHS representative stated that the strike may face challenges due to potential conflicts regarding the criteria for approving a recall request in cases deemed serious enough. There is also a possibility that the BMA may take longer than the NHS management deems appropriate to review a trust’s request, evaluate the evidence, and come to a conclusion.
On December 19, the BMA and NHS England came to an agreement about recall requests. The union had previously declined to give junior doctors exemptions from striking in three NHS services that provide critical care. These services include fast-progressing cancers, corneal transplant eye surgeries, and urgent births through inductions and caesarean sections.
Mortimer stated that there was a distinct preference for approved exemptions for important services. However, if these exemptions are not granted and NHS trusts believe that the strikes are directly and significantly endangering patient safety, they require assurance that the BMA will promptly recognize and address this issue by allowing the striking doctors to temporarily resume work.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has emphasized their dedication to patient safety, similar to NHS England. However, their stance on recall requests has become more doubtful. This was sparked by an incident at Weston general hospital in Somerset, where in April of last year, the hospital requested seven A&E doctors to return to work as an emergency. According to the BMA, it was later revealed that these doctors were not actually needed. The union accused the trust of intentionally deceiving them.
The likelihood of hospitals and the BMA having a disagreement over such requests seemed to rise when the union indicated that it would not approve hospitals’ recall requests due to winter pressures.
According to a spokesperson from the BMA, we have provided adequate notice to hospitals and anticipate that they have made arrangements for necessary staffing in urgent, emergency, and critical care services during the strike.
There is a well-established procedure for asking for exceptions, which involves bringing back employees in a major disaster. We also consider other options for staffing before resorting to exceptions. However, exceptions should only be used as a last option. We will keep collaborating with trusts to guarantee that exception requests are handled fairly and according to protocol, while also safeguarding doctors’ right to strike.
Source: theguardian.com
