Cumbria’s health service is bracing itself for a 96-hour junior doctor strike which has been labelled the biggest in NHS history.

Health bosses at NHS Foundation Trusts across the region are warning patients and the public to expect disruption to NHS hospital services next week.

Trust leaders in the region are concerned about the impact of the four-day period of Industrial Action from the British Medical Association (BMA) which will see hundreds of junior doctors unavailable to work from 7am on Tuesday, April 11 to 7am on Saturday, April 15.

Whilst some disruption is always ‘expected’ with any industrial action according to health bosses, NHS leaders are ‘concerned’ that the scale of this 96 hour walk out makes it ‘increasingly difficult’ to mitigate and manage.

In a statement NHS Foundation Trusts in the North East and North Cumbria said: “As hospital providers we are very concerned.  The prospect of not having junior doctors available for 96 hours at such a critical time after Easter will have an inevitable and noticeable impact on the quality of care we can provide.

“Junior doctors are a vital and much valued part of the NHS workforce and to have such a big part of our teams missing is a deep worry for us all.  The pressure on services is already at peak with no let-up in demand.  It is incumbent on us to be very clear with the public about the scale of the impact and knock on consequences for patients and for our staff. 

"We will need people to support us by taking the right action if they need help from the NHS during this unprecedented time and to be mindful of the disruption to services.”

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The British Medical Association wants a 35 per cent pay rise and has said that if the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay issues a ‘credible’ offer then strike action can be averted.

The BMA says a 35 per cent pay increase would make up for ‘15 years of below-inflation wage rises’ which has caused a ‘recruitment and retention crisis.’

Committee co-chairs of the BMA , Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson said: “Four days of strike action begins on Tuesday but we remain committed to working with the Government to find a solution that recognises the scale of pay erosion for Junior doctors in England and delivers a route towards full pay restoration. It is entirely within the Health Secretary’s gift to avert the upcoming strikes.”