Shadow Health Secretary wes Streeting has stated the government will not concede to demands made by striking doctors, while concurrently expressing optimism that a new offer of increased training places and financial support for expenses will lead to a resolution. The comments come as NHS waiting lists continue to climb.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has argued that accepting their “reasonable proposals” would prevent further disruption to patient care. They have also highlighted a shortage of specialist training positions following the second year of residency, with over 30,000 applicants vying for approximately 10,000 jobs, including those from international doctors.
Streeting described the current government offer as “a win-win scenario where together we motor ahead with the progress we’re making in the NHS.”
He also attributed a recent increase in waiting lists – reaching 6.26 million patients awaiting treatment at the end of August, up from 6.25 million in July – in part to previous industrial action by junior doctors. “We had industrial action by resident doctors, that had an impact and set us back, as I feared it would and said it would at the time,” Streeting stated.
Streeting acknowledged increased demand is also outpacing the NHS’s capacity to deliver care, but expressed confidence that waiting lists would “begin to see improvement again in the coming months.”
The BMA has previously stated that disruption to patients ”is not something we take lightly”.
