'Unprecedented walkouts' by doctors likely to disrupt healthcare services in UK

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) — Britain's National Health Service (NHS) is likely to face a major disruption in healthcare services as hospital consultants and junior doctors are set to hold a coordinated strike for the first time in its history.

Hospital consultants, and members of the British Medical Association (BMA) across England began a 48-hour strike on Tuesday which will joined by junior doctors amid an ongoing dispute over pay.

On Wednesday, both junior doctors and consultants will deliver "Christmas day levels" of staffing only, meaning that only emergency care will be provided.

In a statement on Monday, the NHS warned of the huge pressure on its services by the coordinated action, reminding that the NHS has seen more than 885,000 inpatient and outpatient appointments rescheduled due to the strike actions this year.

Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: "The NHS has simply never seen this kind of industrial action in its history."

"This week’s first-ever joint action means almost all planned care will come to a stop, and hundreds of thousands of appointments will be postponed, which is incredibly difficult for patients and their families, and poses an enormous challenge for colleagues across the NHS," he added.

In a video statement about the coordinated action, Rob Laurenson, BMA junior doctors committee co-chair, said that they have no option but to "escalate" their action until the government shifts its position.

For his part, Vish Sharma, BMA consultants committee chair, said: "Industrial action can still be avoided by coming to the table for meaningful discussions and presenting us a credible offer."

Consultants across England staged a two-day strike action on Aug. 24-25 which followed a five-day industrial action by junior doctors earlier in August. The NHS said later that tens of thousands of hospital appointments were postponed in August.

Earlier, Health Secretary Steve Barclay urged the union and doctors to end their action, saying the government's 6% pay raise this year, on top of last year's 4.5% increase, is the final offer.

However, the BMA, which called the offer "derisory," said this is an "insult to consultants."