'Hardline' BMA blocks emergency pleas for strike doctors to work

NHS officials have expressed their dissatisfaction with the British Medical Association’s stance on emergency requests for striking doctors in England returning to work, calling it increasingly hardline. A system referred to as ‘derogation’ allows the NHS to request resident doctors participating in a five-day strike to forgo the picket line in cases where patient safety is compromised.

As of the most recent update, 18 derogation requests from hospitals during this on-going pay dispute strike have been denied, while nine have been approved. The BMA defended its position by stating that the insufficient planning and pressure to maintain non-urgent care services during the strike had led to overburdened staffing levels, making it challenging to respond to emergencies promptly.

NHS England has criticized the doctors’ union for endangering safety by rejecting derogation requests and suggested that decisions made by a central committee of senior BMA doctors may not be representative of the on-ground realities. Concerns have been raised regarding the denial of certain requests related to cancer care, with some decisions taking hours and additional requests awaiting consideration.

The resident doctors, constituting a significant portion of the NHS workforce, range from newly graduated medical professionals to those with up to a decade of experience. The Royal College of Nursing is also expected to voice dissatisfaction with the proposed 3.6% pay increase, potentially leading to formal strike ballots later in the year. The strike by resident doctors is scheduled to continue until Wednesday at 07:00 BST

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