NHS urges to keep appointments despite doctors’ strike
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- NHS advised patients not to postpone care during the six‑day resident doctors’ strike, urging them to attend appointments unless specifically notified of cancellations.
- Resident doctors began a six‑day walkout on Tuesday 07:00 BST, involving tens of thousands of doctors and lasting until just before 07:00 BST Monday 13 April.
- Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the strike “disappointing” and highlighted that the NHS delivered almost 95 % of planned activity during the December resident‑doctor strikes.
- British Medical Association (BMA) warned the strike would cause disruption despite NHS England’s claim that most services could be maintained.
- Dr Jack Fletcher of the BMA noted senior doctors will cover for residents but are exhausted and demoralised.
- Prof Ramani Moonesinghe said the NHS has “tried and tested systems” to keep services safe and that emergency routes (111/999, A&E, GP, pharmacy) remain unchanged.
- Government withdrew 1,000 extra training places after the strike announcement, saying it was no longer financially or operationally possible, while maintaining the overall doctor count would not be affected.
Why it matters: Patients benefit from the NHS’s push to maintain care access, but the strike still risks service disruption and adds strain to senior doctors covering shifts; the government’s withdrawal of 1,000 training places could limit future staffing capacity while the BMA warns morale is low among resident doctors.
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