Cheltenham General Hospital’s A&E department will continue normal operations after plans for a temporary closure were reversed. The facility had been scheduled to close on Sunday evening and reopen Monday as a minor injury and illness unit through Friday. The closure plan was abandoned when the British Medical Association announced the suspension of a four-day strike by resident doctors, which had been set to run from early Monday morning through Friday.
The strike suspension followed a new pay proposal from the government. Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctor committee, stated that the organization had sought a fair offer addressing doctor unemployment and pay erosion concerns. He indicated that tens of thousands of resident doctors would participate in a referendum to determine whether the offer meets their requirements, with potential for escalated action if members reject it.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust acknowledged that the late change would create some service disruption. While appointments scheduled for Monday could not be reinstated in time, health officials stated they were working to reorganize services for patients with appointments from Tuesday through Thursday. The trust advised patients to attend appointments as scheduled unless directly contacted.
Health Secretary James Murray characterized the agreement as an opportunity to resolve longstanding disputes. He noted that the country could not support a pay increase for the current year but stated that progress was made in other areas including training positions and working conditions. This would have marked the 16th walkout in the extended dispute over physician compensation.
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