Daisy BodkinGloucestershire
BBCAn A&E department is closing for five days as doctors strike across the country.
Cheltenham General Hospital’s emergency department will shut between 20:00 GMT on Tuesday until 08:00 on Monday. The site will instead be used as a minor injury unit from Wednesday until Sunday.
Dr Ananthakrishnan Raghuram, the hospital’s chief medical Officer, said: “This is a difficult time… but we’re ready, we’re prepared and we will do our very best to look after patients.”
Hospital bosses in Bath, Bristol, Somerset, and Wiltshire have said they have no planned changes to services, but strikes may still cause some disruption.
The British Medical Association said 83% of its members had voted to continue with the walkout in an online poll over the weekend, with a turnout of 65%.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “gutted” by the result, describing it as “irresponsible” given the rising pressure from flu.
The union agreed to the snap poll last week after the government came forward with a fresh deal which included increasing speciality training posts and covering out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees.
Why are doctors going on strike?
The strike by resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, are striking over a pay dispute.
This year, they received an average pay rise of 5.4%.
But the BMA said that, despite the pay rises, resident doctors’ pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.
Samuel Taylor-Smith, a junior doctor and BMA rep in Bristol said they are “not necessarily asking for a big pay rise all in one go”.
However, they want to see the government acknowledging that there has been a “long-term erosion of doctors” pay and make some strides towards improving that”.
The new offer did not include any promises on pay – Health Secretary Wes Streeting has maintained he will not negotiate on that after resident doctors pay has been increased by nearly 30% in the past three years.
Which regions in the West will be impacted?
Gloucestershire’s hospitals are expected to experience the largest disruption as one of the county’s emergency departments closes.
During the strike, people requiring emergency care will have to travel to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in Gloucester, which is about a 35-minute drive away from Cheltenham.
Dr Raghuram said health partners are “working closely together” to make sure people with the highest needs continue to have access to “quality care and support”.
“It’s vital that we all work together to keep the Emergency Department in Gloucester clear for life-threatening conditions and serious injuries,” he said.
PA MediaBath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Board said there is no planned changes to hospital services across its area.
Gill May, chief nursing officer at the integrated board, said: “The support of our public helps to ensure that emergency care services, which will be running as normal, remain ready and available for people in genuine need.”
There are also no planned changes to health services in Bristol, Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
But hospital chiefs have warned patients that appointments could be cancelled and there could also be longer wait times.
What advice is there?
All local NHS trusts have warned that strikes could cause disruption to appointments.
People have been advised to attend appointments as normal unless they are told otherwise.
To relieve pressure on hospitals, those eligible, are being encouraged to take up the offer of a free NHS flu vaccination.
If people have an urgent care need, they can visit 111.nhs.uk in the first instance or call 111 for advice, but is likely to see an increase in calls.
