Salisbury District Hospital 'very busy' due to junior doctors strike action
Junior doctors are on strike until Saturday
Salisbury District Hospital says it remains open amid another round of strikes by junior doctors.
In a Facebook post, the hospital says it expects to be very busy over the coming days as junior doctors strike from 7am today (Wednesday) to 7am on Saturday.
They are urging us to consider alternatives if we do not have life-threatening or critical illness or injury.
GP practices, local pharmacies or the Salisbury Walk In Centre and NHS111 are all contactable for minor injury or illness.
'Unproductive' talks with Government
Junior doctors are staging a 72-hour walkout after unsuccessful negotiations with the Government to strike a deal restoring pay for junior doctors after a 26% decline over the last 15 years.
Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairs of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, said talks have reached a point where they are “unproductive”:
“We entered these talks in good faith, hoping that after months of refusal by ministers to meet with us, we would finally see a real offer on the table that would avoid the need for more industrial action and stop the haemorrhaging of junior doctors from the NHS.
“In that time we have received an offer which is in no way credible or even reasonable for where we are in the negotiating process.”
There are threats of further strikes throughout the summer if the Government fails to change its position.