Kettering General Hospital junior doctors begin four-day strike action to 'protect' the NHS

Hundreds of junior doctors employed at Kettering General Hospital (KGH) have begun a four-day walkout today (Tuesday) in strike action to improve pay, conditions and better patient safety.

Members of the British Medical Association (BMA) in England began the latest industrial action at 7am this morning – and will not return to work until 7am on Saturday (April 15).

BMA members are demanding a 35 per cent pay rise after 15 years of below-inflation wage rises but Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said such a pay rise is unreasonable.

Doctors on the picket line in Rothwell Road blew whistles and waved banners at passing cars honking their horns in support.

Dr Thom Jeffery who works in general surgery said: “We are asking for pay restoration. In the last 10 years we have had our pay degraded and working in the NHS has become more challenging. Pay restoration means restoring our NHS.

"We are losing good doctors all the time. Locum doctors are costing an awful lot of money.

"I feel very undervalued as a doctor. We are under significant pressure. We are expected to see more and more patients. We need more doctors.”

Residents in the area who need urgent medical care have been urged to continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases - when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk. People with less urgent needs have been advised to use alternative services.

Toby Sanders, chief executive, Northamptonshire ICB that runs KGH, said: “This four-day strike comes immediately after a four-day bank holiday weekend, which is already challenging for the NHS and at a time when we know there will high levels of annual leave due to the Easter holidays.

“Junior doctors are qualified doctors who have up to eight years’ experience working as a hospital doctor and make up around half of all doctors in the NHS, so we know this industrial action is going to have a significant impact on our hospitals.

“During strike action we will prioritise resources to protect emergency treatment, critical care, neonatal care, maternity, and trauma, and ensure we prioritise patients who have waited the longest for elective care and cancer surgery.

"We will only cancel appointments and procedures where it is necessary and will reschedule as swiftly as possible.

“It is important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases - when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.

"Patients with less urgent needs are advised to use the alternative services which are available to them such as NHS 111 online, their pharmacy, Corby Urgent Care Centre or their GP practice.”

Dr Jeffery added: “I would much rather be at work today with my patients but we have to think about the longer term protecting patients with well-supported staff.

"On the strike days, the patients will have the most experienced doctors, our consultant colleagues, caring for them. We know patients will be receiving good care.”

Use 111.nhs.uk. People without internet access or calling about a patient aged five or under, should call 111.

Corby Urgent Care Centre is open every day between 8am and 8pm.