NHS doctors in Kent to strike for five days
Resident doctors in Kent are set to join colleagues around England in staging a five-day strike after the latest round of talks with the Government broke down.
The British Medical Association announced that the strike will take place from 7am on Friday 14th November to 7am on Wednesday 19th November.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting presented an offer to the BMA on 5th November, which included doubling "additional" specialty training posts, covering costs for mandatory exams, and paying membership fees.
However, the BMA rejected the package, arguing it fell short of addressing the real issues of pay and job shortages.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the British Medical Association's resident doctors committee, said that the offer would not address the difficulties faced by doctors looking for work.
“Even with this offer, thousands of doctors would still be unable to find a job," he said. "Thirty thousand doctors applied for 10,000 places this year. One thousand more is not going to fix this crisis."
The strike comes at a crucial time for NHS services, as healthcare providers, including those in Kent, prepare for increased demand over the winter months.
Impact on Kent hospitals
Healthcare services in Kent are adjusting plans to manage potential disruption during the industrial action.
Dr Kate Langford from NHS Kent and Medway stressed the importance of reassurance to patients, saying the NHS will still be available for those who need care urgently.
“If someone's having what's clearly a life-threatening problem—such as a stroke or heart attack—absolutely call 999 as you always would," she said.
Dr Langford also explained that doctors who do not participate in the strike would primarily be redeployed to critical services like maternity care and intensive care units to maintain safety.
“For those with less urgent needs, we ask the public to avoid going to accident and emergency."
“In an emergency, the public should still dial 999, and otherwise use 111 online, your local pharmacist, or GP,” she said.
The Trust is planning to keep as much outpatient activity and routine operations running as possible, adding that most planned care occurred during earlier strikes this year despite disruptions.
Government response
Commenting on the industrial action, Health Secretary Wes Streeting urged resident doctors to reconsider joining the strike and emphasised the Government's investment in the NHS.
"As we enter this needless round of strike action, patients should feel reassured that the NHS is more resilient than ever in minimising disruption," Streeting said.
Criticising the BMA’s decision to reject his offer, he added: "The BMA could have secured more jobs and cut professional costs for resident doctors on top of the 28.9% pay rise they have already had thanks to this Government, but they rejected it out of hand."
This latest strike will mark the 13th round of industrial action by resident doctors since March 2023.