Cheltenham General Hospital’s A&E department will remain operational after a scheduled closure was cancelled. The department had been set to close on Sunday evening and transition to a minor injury and illness unit until Friday, but the British Medical Association announced the suspension of a four-day resident doctor strike on Saturday following receipt of a new pay offer from the government.
The walkout, which would have been the 16th action in the ongoing dispute, had been scheduled to commence Monday morning and continue through Friday morning. Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust indicated that while the last-minute decision to proceed with normal operations means some service disruptions are unavoidable, staff are working to reorganise cancelled appointments. Appointments scheduled for Monday could not be reinstated in time, but the trust stated it is attempting to reschedule those booked for Tuesday through Thursday. Patients have been advised to attend appointments as originally planned unless they receive direct contact from the hospital.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctor committee, stated that the organization sought a fair offer addressing physician unemployment and pay erosion. He noted that tens of thousands of frontline doctors will now vote on whether the offer meets their requirements, with the possibility of escalated action later in the month if the membership rejects the proposal.
Health Secretary James Murray characterised the new offer as providing an opportunity to resolve previous disputes. He acknowledged that the government cannot increase pay for the current year but stated that progress has been made in areas including training positions and working conditions.
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