RESIDENT doctors will continue to strike at Barnsley Hospital until Monday in their latest round of industrial action.
Formerly known as junior doctors, the staff will remain on strike until 7am on Monday, after action began on Tuesday.
A Barnsley Hospital spokesperson said that they are expecting ‘significant delays’ in the emergency department - but have urged residents to not put off seeking medical help if they need it.
They added: “Barnsley Hospital works hard to keep patients safe during strikes, while delivering the best care possible, and patients should continue to attend appointments as planned unless contacted to reschedule.
“Nobody should put off seeking urgent or emergency care during the strikes, with key services continuing to operate.
“During strike action we will prioritise resources to protect the emergency treatment, critical care, neonatal care, maternity, and trauma units.
“We will only reschedule appointments and procedures where it is necessary, and will rebook immediately where possible.
“Unfortunately, these strikes will have a significant impact upon planned and routine care.
“We expect significant delays in the emergency department as patients will be seen according to their immediate needs.”
The strikes have been organised by the British Medical Association (BMA) after they were issued a 3.5 per cent pay increase, when inflation is 0.1 per cent higher.
Chair Jack Fletcher said: “We have been negotiating in good faith for weeks to try and end the simultaneous pay and jobs crises for resident doctors.
“Frustratingly we had been making good progress right up until the point, in the last two weeks, when the government began to shift the goalposts.
“As talks progressed it became clear that the money proposed for pay increases was now going to be spread over three years.
“This is combined with today’s pay review body recommendation pointing to yet more years in which our pay, at best, barely treads water.
“We have made abundantly clear throughout this dispute that our aim is pay restoration, and any deal that did not move us substantially in that direction was not going to fly.”
