Cheltenham General Hospital’s A&E department will continue operating normally after a scheduled closure was prevented by the suspension of an industrial action campaign by resident doctors.
The facility had been planned to close at 20:00 on Sunday and transition to a minor injury and illness unit from Monday through Friday. However, the British Medical Association announced on Saturday that it would suspend the four-day walkout in response to a revised pay proposal from the government. The strike would have marked the 16th action in an extended dispute over physician compensation and employment conditions.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust acknowledged that the last-minute change would create some service disruptions, particularly affecting appointments scheduled for Monday. However, health officials indicated they were working to reorganize and reschedule appointments for Tuesday through Thursday. The trust stated that patients should continue attending as planned unless they receive direct notification otherwise.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctor committee, stated that the organization had sought a compensation package that would address job security concerns and reverse erosion in physician compensation. He indicated that tens of thousands of resident doctors would participate in a referendum to determine whether the offer met their requirements. He warned that if members rejected the proposal, the union would pursue additional escalated actions in the following period.
Health Secretary James Murray characterized the new offer as an opportunity to resolve longstanding disputes. He noted that the government could not increase its pay offer for the current year but had made progress in other areas including training positions and workplace conditions.
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