Concerns raised about patient safety ahead of resident doctor walkouts
A five-day walkout is scheduled to start on Friday and could cause significant upheaval to the NHS in England.
It is hoped the strikes could be averted by ongoing talks between the Government and the Resident Doctors Committee (RDC) of the BMA.
But with just days before the strikes are due to start, the union has criticised the way the health service is preparing.
Following yesterday's strike ballot result, we met with @wesstreeting
It's clear: the Government is refusing to negotiate on pay.
We are now preparing for a full 5 day walk-out, beginning on Friday 25 July.
Our door will always be open to constructive talks.#PayRestoration pic.twitter.com/6nJXTFdooP
— Resident Doctors (@BMAResidents) July 9, 2025
In previous walkouts, urgent and emergency services have been staffed by senior hospital doctors, including consultants, and pre-planned work was largely postponed.
But the BMA said that hospital leaders have been told to continue with scheduled non-urgent care during the fresh bout of strike action.
The union said this approach would put patients at risk.
Speaking earlier this month, NHS England boss Sir Jim Mackey said 'we can't allow this to play out in a way that it did last time'.
We've written to NHS England with concerns about inadequate planning ahead of possible strike action later this week. Attempts to run non-urgent services with fewer doctors risk patient safety. It's imperative that Trusts postpone work to protect urgent and emergency care. pic.twitter.com/cUtMdox9kg
— The BMA (@TheBMA) July 21, 2025
The last round of strikes, which also included walkouts by other health workers, came at an estimated cost of £1.5 billion to the NHS in England.
Some 1.5 million appointments, procedures and operations were postponed as a result of the stoppages.
In a letter to Sir Jim, BMA council chairman Dr Tom Dolphin and deputy council chairwoman Dr Emma Runswick wrote: 'Your decision to instruct hospitals to run non-urgent planned care stretches safe staffing far too thinly, and risks not only patient safety in urgent and emergency situations, but in planned care too.
'Consultants cannot safely provide elective care and cover for residents at the same time.
'We therefore strongly urge you to reconsider your instructions to hospitals, which should be preparing now to postpone non-urgent planned activity in order to provide a safe urgent and emergency service in keeping with the levels of staff available.'
In previous strikes, there was a so-called 'derogation' process where hospitals can request striking doctors return to work if there is risk to patient safety.
The BMA said that it is 'committed' to the process but not to facilitating non-urgent work.
The previous strikes ended last September when resident doctor members voted to accept a Government pay deal worth 22.3% on average over two years.
The 2025/26 pay deal saw resident doctors given a 4% increase plus £750 'on a consolidated basis', working out as an average rise of 5.4%.
Government officials said these two increases equate to a 28.9% pay rise.
But the BMA said resident doctors need 29.2% to reverse 'pay erosion' since 2008/09.
The strikes are due to begin at 7am on Friday and last for five days.
NHS England has been approached for comment.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
A Reading List for ‘The Retrievals' Season 2
By Susan Burton Hi 'Retrievals' listeners! Episode 3 drops today. (If you're just joining us, catch up with our newsletters about Episode 1 and Episode 2.) In Episode 3, we meet Susanna Stanford, who lives in England. In my estimation, Susanna has done more than anyone in the world to try to solve the problem of pain during cesarean — despite the fact that she has no medical training. When I first met Susanna, a little over a year ago in a hotel room in London, she handed me a folder of documents. Many of the documents were articles from medical journals about pain during cesarean, including some Susanna had written herself. You might think that medical journal articles would be dry, but I found them fascinating. Taken together, they told their own story of how we got to this point with pain during cesarean. These studies spoke to key moments in obstetric anesthesia, offering insight into how pain was discussed at different points in recent history, and when and how researchers began to elevate it as an important area of study. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Southend Airport plane crash pilots named
Two pilots who died when a medical plane crashed at London Southend Airport have been named. They were captain Danny Marco Franken and first officer Floris Christiaan Rhee, flight operator Zeusch Aviation said. They are understood to be Dutch. The plane, chartered for a patient to be transported for treatment in the UK, crashed within the airport boundary shortly after take-off on July 13. It is understood that the patient had been dropped off and the plane was bound for its base in the Netherlands when the accident happened. Marco Rietvelt, managing director of Zeusch Aviation, said: 'Danny and Floris were not only highly skilled pilots, but also greatly valued and popular members of our team. 'Their passion for flying was matched by their dedication to their colleagues and the important missions they carried out. 'We are all deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic loss. 'Our priority is to support the families of those lost, as well as our employees, during this incredibly difficult time. 'We are also fully committed to assisting the authorities in their ongoing investigation.' The other two people onboard the plane – a female nurse and a male doctor – also died in the crash. The nurse was named in reports as 31-year-old Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, a German national originally from Chile, and the doctor was named as German national Dr Matthias Eyl, 46. An inquiry by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch into what happened is ongoing.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
The silent struggle: endometriosis patient prepares for life-changing surgery
At just 36-years-old, a mother of four is preparing to undergo a hysterectomy to alleviate the painful effects of endometriosis costing her over £20,000. The inflammatory disease affects 1.5 million women across the United Kingdom and for many it is a silent battle. 'I have always suffered from bad periods my whole life, my first period was when I was 12 and my daddy had to collect me from school,' Melanie Clarke told this newspaper. 'I had been crying on the bathroom floor at a pantomime. That was my first memory of a period.' Endometriosis is a condition that produces tissue resembling the lining of the uterus (womb) to grow outside its walls. Endometriosis has impacted Melanie's daily life with symptoms which include constant, debilitating pelvic and abdominal pain, vomiting, nerve-related pain, painful bowel and bladder symptoms and extreme fatigue among others. "This disease is chronic, it grows in your organs, it causes adhesion, it causes pain but there is no cure," Melanie explained. Since 2020, Melanie has undergone three surgeries aimed at improving her quality of life, along with frequent visits to A&E for pain management and week-long stays at SWAH. (Image: John McVitty) Just five weeks before her wedding to Ryan Clarke, in early February she received a surgery to remove adhesions. 'Five weeks before my wedding I had laparoscopic surgery a surgery to remove adhesions and what they said was superficial endometriosis,' Melanie explained. 'Two weeks later I got steroid injections into my hips, between the surgery and I was using a walking stick because the pain was still there.' After her wedding, Melanie and Ryan enjoyed their honeymoon in early April, though some days were overshadowed by pain. However, it wasn't until she returned home to Enniskillen that the nightmare truly began. 'Ten weeks after that initial surgery, I took this pain on my right-hand side when I was on my way to work, and I rang my GP and I said 'Listen I'm in absolute agony.'' Melanie continued: 'I didn't think it was endo related because I had just had my surgery, and that left me in hospital for nine nights, I was under pain management. 'I was discharged with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain and vomiting, I have been consistently vomiting for three months," she said. After receiving care in A&E on April 28 Melanie returned home with chronic pain, vomiting, and fatigue due to inflammatory disease. She now relies on a walking aid to move most days. Melanie has a dedicated support system of family and friends, including her husband Ryan who has been a steady presence during her illness. Along with her young daughters Caitlin, Lilija , Alexis and Sofija who have been by her side every step of the way. 'I do have a great pain management team in Omagh, and they are fantastic, every five to six months I get steroid injections into my hips,' she told this newspaper. Melanie wanted to highlight the dedicated care provided by the NHS nurses, she said: 'I went home as sick as I was going in, but I just want to iterate that I got excellent care. However, due to the severity of the pain Mrs. Clarke has experienced, and continues to experience, coupled with the long NHS waiting times, she has had to go private for her next surgery. 'I decided to go private after I seen Nadia's [Stenson] post,' she explained. Read More: Living with endometriosis: Fermanagh woman shares her courageous story The specialist surgeon Dr. Marcello Ceccaroni had provided Nadia with a life-changing surgery, through the Endometriosis Surgical Specialist International (EESI) in Italy. This surgery was to help with Nadia's physical and mental health. Any time Melanie has had scans for her inflammatory disease they have come back clear, however she was still suffering. Due to endometriosis being difficult to recognise or identify, as symptoms can vary from person to person, affecting different parts of the body. According to Endometriosis UK the disease 'does not show up on all scans. You can still have endometriosis and have a negative scan result.' However, a recent private MRI test result have confirmed that Melanie has endometriosis and adenomyosis. During a Zoom consultation with Dr. Ceccaroni from Italy, he recommended a modified radical hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy, scheduled for September. (Image: John McVitty) Melanie being sick. This means the uterus and both fallopian tubes will be removed, while the ovaries will be preserved. This will allow Melanie's natural hormone function to remain, so she will not have to rely on hormone replacement therapy. The procedure will also include removal of pelvic adhesions and aims to eradication of any endometriosis lesions that may still be present. The travel, accommodation, surgery and hospital care in Italy will cost the Clarke family £20,300. If you are interested in following Melanie's story or donating check out: Melanie has been documenting her journey with endometriosis on Facebook, sharing raw accounts of her lived experience with the disease, counting down until her surgery. As endometriosis is often an invisible disease, Melanie highlighted how it can impact family life and children when a parent is ill. 'You hear so much of people talking about endometriosis and adenomyosis were it causes infertility, and you can't have children but they don't talk about the impact its having on children," she explained. A women's health support group focused on endometriosis is being established by women from Fermanagh, aiming to provide those affected by this chronic condition with a space to share health challenges and discuss the impact on families. While many people suffering from other debilitating illnesses have access to support services for both patients and their families, there are fewer resources available for women with endometriosis in Fermanagh. "For this condition, there is no support for your family, and there is no plan. There needs to be a centre where these women can go and have support or their families. "For women who are suffering [with endometriosis] for years is going to have an effect on the children," she added. Advocating for health can be difficult, but Melanie stresses: 'Don't give up, you know your body better than anyone else. 'If you are getting clear scans or x-rays and your being told you can't have endometriosis, go to the next person [medical professional] and get answers. 'Cramps during your period is normal but debilitating pain is not, and you need to be heard, don't be afraid to speak up.'