The Trust responsible for Luton & Dunstable University Hospital has assured patients that the upcoming doctors’ strike will not affect emergency or maternity services, or vital inpatient care.
Resident doctors, also known as junior doctors, are set to walk out from 7am tomorrow (Friday 25 July) until 7am on Wednesday 30 July as part of a national dispute over pay and working conditions.
Despite admitting the strike “will significantly impact services”, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust says emergency and life-saving care will continue as normal, and patients should attend scheduled appointments unless they are contacted directly to rearrange.
The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents the striking doctors, is calling for a 29 per cent pay rise to restore what it says has been a real-terms pay cut since 2008. The government has so far offered a 5.4 per cent uplift, but the union argues this does not go far enough to reverse years of underpayment.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has described the strike as “unreasonable and unfair” and warned it could impact patient safety. However, the BMA says doctors are burnt out, undervalued and leaving the NHS at an unsustainable rate.
A recent report from the Nuffield Trust found that real-terms pay for resident doctors has dropped by between 4 and 10 per cent since 2010–11, depending on which inflation index is used. The BMA disputes these figures, insisting the true shortfall is significantly higher and that pay restoration is essential to retaining staff and ensuring safe NHS care.
Although disruption is expected across many NHS trusts, Bedfordshire Hospitals has thanked local people in advance for their patience during what it describes as a “challenging time”, while confirming that maternity care and emergency services will remain fully operational throughout the strike.
Outpatient appointments will also continue wherever possible. Any that do need to be postponed will be rescheduled as a priority, and the Trust is urging patients not to delay seeking help for serious symptoms.
“Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk,” Bedfordshire Hospitals Trust said in a statement.
Appointments that need to be postponed will be rearranged “as a priority”, the Trust added.
Local people are being asked to use NHS services wisely during the strike period. That includes visiting NHS 111 online for non-urgent advice, using pharmacies or GPs for minor conditions and only attending the emergency department in cases of genuine emergencies.
Further updates can be found on the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust website.
