Why are junior doctors on strike and how will the NHS cope?

About 50,000 junior doctors in England dropped their stethoscopes and picked up placards as they stage a four-day walkout in a bitter row with Govt over payment.

Here, the PA news agency answers some key questions about the strike.

– Why are junior doctors on strike?

Strikes focused on wages between British Medical Association and the government, with the union claiming junior doctors’ pay in England has fallen by 26% in real terms since 2008/09 because pay rises have been below inflation.

The union has demanded a full reinstatement of wages, which the government says will lead to a 35% increase, which ministers say is unachievable.

– How much do junior doctors actually pay?

The term “junior doctor” is a bit misleading because it covers all doctors at consultant level. Some doctors could work in NHS for nearly a decade, but still referred to as Jr.

They are paid different salaries depending on their level of experience.

Those with the least experience – known as a Foundation Year 1 (FY1) doctor – earn a basic rate of £14.09 an hour – or £29,384 a year.

But it is unlikely that the doctor will get that much, because he is paid extra for working overnights and weekends. These additional payouts also increase with experience.

The most senior junior doctor has a starting salary of £58,398 plus benefits.

– When does the action take place?

The strike began at 7 a.m. Tuesday and will continue until 7 a.m. Saturday.

– What did the NHS say?

The NHS says emergency care will be the priority during the strike – this includes services such as EMS, intensive care, maternity services and newborn care.

The most senior doctors, consultants and other non-striking NHS staff will be redeployed to these areas, meaning their normal work will not continue, so appointments and operations will be delayed.

– What should I do if I’m sick?

People The NHS recommends that you access the care you need in the usual way – only using 999 and EMS for life-threatening emergencies, and using the NHS 111 online service and other services for non-urgent medical needs.

The National Health Service said pharmacies and GPs were largely unaffected by the strikes, so patients could still make appointments and receive health advice.

– What will be the results of the strike?

This is the second strike in the current dispute. The latest walkout lasted three days and resulted in the postponement of around 175,000 appointments and operations.

NHS officials believe the latest strike will lead to “significantly more” appointments being postponed – with some estimating the four-day strike could lead to the postponement of 350,000 appointments or operations.

But some patients will be hidden in the numbers – for example, a patient who broke his hip over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend will not have reconstructive surgery until next week, but until then will have to stay in a hospital bed or ‘risk losing his place’; or a patient with newly diagnosed cancer who was due to start weekly chemotherapy the week before the strike but was not started on treatment to ensure continuity.

– Why will this strike have a greater effect if it lasts only one day longer than the previous one?

The 96-hour strike is likely to be the most disruptive in NHS history due to the length of the strike and the fact that doctors decided to take action just after a long bank holiday weekend – which traditionally disrupts the NHS even without the prospect of a strike.

The walkout also coincides with the Easter school holidays, meaning many of the consultancy staff who provided cover during the first round of strikes will be unable to do so again due to pre-planned holidays and childcare commitments.

– Will junior doctors leave the picket line for emergencies, like the paramedics during the recent ambulance strikes?

Probably not. The BMA has agreed to suspend action in the event of mass accidents or when NHS trusts are overwhelmed and need to call in extra support.

This can only be done if the head of the hospital trust contacts NHS England’s emergency response team, who will then pass the details on to the BMA. The union will then decide whether the incident can be mitigated only by reinstatement of junior doctors.

The BMA said it would also have to post on Twitter that it had agreed to these so-called concessions, so “it’s easy for members to check”.

– Does society support the strike?

A new Ipsos poll found that more than half (54%) of Britons support strike action, while 49% of 1,092 British adults surveyed believe junior doctors are being paid too little.