Cambridgeshire doctors set to walk out in row over pay
It will be the 13th time since March 2023 that doctors in England have gone on strike
Patients needing hospital treatment in Cambridgeshire are being advised to carry on as normal as resident doctors go on strike.
The strikes - which run from today until November 19 - will be the 13th walkout since 2023.
Some British Medical Association (BMA) member resident doctors in England - formerly known as junior doctors - are due to be on picket lines including outside Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.
"It doesn't just affect their (patient) health, but jobs as well if they have had to take time off to get those appointments or book holiday or childcare and rearrange," Jess Slater, chief executive at Healthwatch Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, said.
"It's important that people understand the effects (of the strikes) on patients."
'No new offer'
This week, Health Secretary Wes Streeting made a plea to BMA members to scrap their walkout and said doctors have seen an average increase in pay of 28.9%.
Mr Streeting said he would not move further on pay, despite calls from the BMA for a 26% uplift to counter what it says is pay erosion over time.
"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 have thanks to this government, but they rejected it out of hand," he said.
"I urge resident doctors not to follow the BMA out on strike, come to work to give your patients the care they need, and let's continue rebuilding our NHS."
But Dr Jack Fletcher, the BMA resident doctors' committee chairman, said "no new offer" from the Government has been seen.
"As it stands, what the Secretary of State has put on the table will still see thousands of resident doctors turned away from jobs this year, while continuing to back a real-terms pay cut that the Government has suggested for doctors next year," Dr Fletcher said.
"We want to reach a deal on both pay and jobs, that delivers for doctors and patients, but the Government seems intent on preventing this."
Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive at NHS England, has written to NHS trust leaders urging them to keep the majority of services operating during the strike and said rescheduling appointments and operations should "only happen in exceptional circumstances to safeguard patient safety".
NHS England has said plans are in place to continue life-saving care as normal, while hospital chiefs have been told to keep routine operations going as much as possible.
Strikes won't ease backlog, warns group
Locally, Ms Slater said the strikes won't ease any delays in terms of getting NHS appointments.
"When strikes happen, an automatic backlog of surgeries, appointments with doctors in general will get cancelled, so ultimately that will make the backlog even longer," she warned.
"There are already waiting lists in the county around scheduled surgery, however, patients who haven't been told that they don't have an appointment should continue to attend because it's likely those appointments will still go ahead."
Primary and urgent and emergency care services will continue to be available for those who need them.
NHS England has said the public should use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent but not life-threatening issues during industrial action.
Patients who need emergency medical care should continue to use 999 or come forward to A&E as normal.
The last strike in July is estimated to have cost the health service around £300 million.
NHS Confederation and NHS Providers said that if the NHS continues to have to foot the bill from strikes, it could lead to staff being cut and fewer tests, appointments and operations being carried out.