Over 100,000 appointment cancellations during latest junior doctor strike
More than 100,000 hospital appointments and procedures in England were cancelled due to the latest strike by junior doctors, figures show.
Some 101,977 inpatient and outpatient appointments had to be rescheduled as a result of the industrial action, which took place from July 13 to 18.
A further 1,160 mental health and learning disability appointments were rescheduled, along with 186 appointments at community hospitals, meaning a total of 103,323 appointments did not take place.
The figures are likely to underestimate the true scale of disruption, which was part of a long-running dispute over pay, as not all NHS trusts were able to supply data for publication by NHS England.
The number of inpatient and outpatient hospital appointments cancelled since the current spell of industrial action began in December 2022 now stands at 698,813.
Together with additional cancellations in mental health, learning disability and community settings, the overall cumulative total has now passed 750,000.
ITV News Health and Science Correspondent Martin Stew explains how hospitals are preparing for the latest round of strike action by consultant doctors
NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: "These figures show the huge ongoing impact of industrial action for patients and their families, and the scale of disruption is likely to be even greater, with many services avoiding scheduling appointments for strike days.
"We are continuing to see a massive cumulative impact on NHS services and our hard-working staff as they do all they can to maintain safe patient services while tackling a record backlog.
"Ahead of strikes tomorrow, people should continue to use 999 for life-threatening situations, and for everything else, use 111 online or community services such as GPs or pharmacies."
The British Medical Association also (BMA) revealed on Wednesday that its membership had hit a record high.
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The BMA said its membership stands at 190,366, up by more than 25,000 compared with this time last year.
The increase is mainly driven by junior doctors, with 21,000 joining the BMA since the start of the year.
The news on cancellations comes as an even more impactful strike is expected to get underway.
Consultant doctors and hospital-based dentists will be on strike for 48 hours from 7am on Thursday until 7am on Saturday.
Health leaders have said no other clinicians can provide cover for consultants, so any planned care delivered by junior doctors or other healthcare professionals that requires even remote consultant supervision will need to be rescheduled.
This means a "significant amount" of planned care involving junior doctors will be affected, NHS England said.
The public is still being told to dial 999 in life-threatening emergencies and to contact NHS 111 online for other health concerns.
GP services and pharmacies will also be running as normal.
Last week, the government announced pay increases for millions of public-sector workers, including doctors.
It said most eligible dentists and doctors will receive at least a 6% pay rise, while hospital consultants will receive a 6% rise.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the deal was the "final offer" and that there will be "no more talks on pay".
But the BMA said the increase was a "savage real-terms pay cut" and called it "derisory".
Following the announcement, hospital consultants said they will also strike for two more days on August 24 and 25.
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