Cheltenham General Hospital’s accident and emergency department will continue operating after a threatened strike by resident doctors was called off. The facility had been scheduled to close on Sunday evening and reopen as a minor injury and illness unit through Friday, but the British Medical Association announced the suspension of the four-day walkout on Saturday following receipt of a fresh pay proposal from the government.
The Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust acknowledged that the last-minute decision to maintain services would still result in some disruption. While cancelled appointments scheduled for Monday could not be reinstated in time, hospital administrators stated they were moving quickly to reschedule procedures planned for Tuesday through Thursday. The trust advised patients to attend appointments as originally scheduled unless they received direct notification of changes.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctor committee, indicated that the decision to suspend the strike reflects progress in negotiations but stressed that the matter remains unsettled. He noted that tens of thousands of resident doctors will participate in a referendum to determine whether the offer meets their demands regarding employment security and compensation. Fletcher added that if doctors reject the proposal in the vote, the union plans to pursue additional escalated industrial action in the following month.
Health Secretary James Murray characterized the new offer as an opportunity to resolve longstanding disputes within the medical profession. Murray stated that the government could not increase the pay offer for the current year but indicated progress had been made in areas including training positions and working conditions. The suspended walkout would have been the 16th strike in the extended dispute over physician compensation.
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