Medics issue patient safety warning over union’s approach to strikes

PoliticsHealth & Fitness
24 Jul 2025 • 3:08 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Top medics have urged the British Medical Association (BMA) to suspend its guidance advising doctors not to disclose strike plans to employers.
  • The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges said that withholding this information risks patient safety as it makes it extremely difficult for health service leaders to maintain adequate patient care.
  • Resident doctors are set to begin a five-day strike on Friday after pay talks with the government broke down, with the BMA seeking a 29 per cent pay rise.
  • Hospital leaders anticipate having to cancel some operations and appointments, despite NHS England's mandate to continue routine care, with one A&E in Cheltenham considering reducing services.
  • The health secretary, Wes Streeting, described the strike action as “completely unjustified”, while the BMA argues the government’s pay offer is insufficient.

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