STRIKES by hospital consultants in Cheshire and Merseyside will take place later this week.

A second round of strike action by hospital consultants will begin at 7.00 am on Thursday, August 24 and run for 48 hours, until 7.00 am on Saturday, August 26.

NHS Trusts across Cheshire and Merseyside are advising the public that significant service disruption is highly likely.

Emergency services will remain in place on Thursday and Friday, with staffing levels in line with that in place on ‘Christmas Day’. This will ensure that emergency care continues to be provided and that patients remain safe while consultants take lawful industrial action, but disruption should be expected and elective or non-emergency care will be significantly impacted.

Health leaders are therefore urging members of the public to use NHS 111 Online for all non-emergency healthcare needs.

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Medical Director, Prof Rowan Pritchard-Jones said: "We are now in the ninth month of industrial action across the NHS, and staff continue to work tirelessly to provide patients with the best possible care under the circumstances.

"The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to mitigate risks to patient safety and manage the disruption caused by industrial action, but this week’s strikes by hospital consultants in the run up to the bank holiday weekend will inevitably lead to significant disruption for many patients.

"Consultants are senior doctors who not only see patients but are also responsible for supervising junior doctors and other staff. When consultants take strike action this week, they will stop delivering care directly or providing supervision of the work of our junior staff. Without supervision, it may not be possible for some care delivered by junior doctors, or other staff to take place safely.

"However, we want to reiterate that urgent and emergency care services will be open, and in the event of a life or limb-threatening emergency you should always call 999.

"If it’s not an emergency, please use NHS 111 Online to ensure you are signposted to the right service first time."

The British Medical Association (BMA) say that they had written a letter to Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, following July's two-day strike to invite him to discuss pay and reform of the doctors' pay review body with a view to putting an end to industrial action.

The union says that the Government is refusing to even talk about pay - let alone put any kind of credible offer on the table.

Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA consultants committee chair said earlier this month: " It is now 133 days since the Secretary of State last met with us – demonstrating the Government’s complete disregard for the expertise and value of consultants, and the very future of the health service and its patients.

"We are once again appealing to the Health Secretary to return to the table and discuss both pay and reform of the rigged pay review process, so that we can reach a point where strikes are not necessary.

"Consultants will go out on strike at the end of this month, and for a further two days in September – demonstrating our resolve and clearly signalling to Government that we’re in this for the long haul. However, neither of these strikes need to take place at all if the Government drops its intransigent position.

"The Prime Minister has blamed the record waiting lists in the NHS on staff taking a stand for their pay and conditions – a claim that has backfired spectacularly. Waiting lists were rising steadily due to the Government’s underfunding of the NHS and were at a record high before any industrial action started and even before the pandemic.

"He says that everyone must play their part to bring the waiting list down but his refusal to negotiate a deal that would ensure the NHS can recruit and retain doctors to address the current workforce crisis is the biggest barrier to achieving this.

"No consultant wants to take strike action but unless we take a stand, we risk losing our most experienced doctors, putting the very future of the NHS at risk. It’s not too late to avert these strikes and we call upon the Health Secretary to meet with us urgently."

Hospital care providers will contact individuals directly if their appointment is affected – so people are advised attend as planned if you have not heard from them in advance.

Local NHS services will be using their websites and social media channels to provide up to date information to the public about local service disruption – so patients are urged to check for updates before they travel.