Blackpool hospital chiefs warn of further uncertainty due to strike action

Hundreds of doctors from Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have taken part in recent industrial action sparked by a dispute over pay.

A report to a meeting of the Trust’s board of directors says the Trust “continues to face uncertainty over further industrial action from various professional groups and trade unions who are in dispute with the Government over pay.”

It adds: “Most recently the British Medical Association (BMA) has led periods of prolonged industrial action involving hundreds of junior doctors at the Trust.

“During this period of action the Trust’s senior leadership took significant steps to ensure continuity of service and the safety of patients, colleagues and the public.

“This included an incident room operating from Trust HQ during the first industrial action by BMA members, and virtually during the second. ”

Other measures included twice daily meetings of the senior leadership team and ensuring patients were aware they should continue to attend appointments unless they were contacted with other arrangements.

Deputy chief executive of the Trust Steve Christian told the meeting that like all NHS Trusts, Blackpool had “faced uncertainty due to ongoing disputes in relation to pay.”

But he added contingency arrangements had “been put in place across the entire organisation to ensure we retained the best care possible.”

Junior doctors in England held strikes between March 13 and 15, and a four day walkout which ended at 7am on April 15.

The BMA is seeking a 35 per cent pay rise for junior doctors which the government has said is unreasonable due to the current economic situation.

Meanwhile the latest NHS Staff Survey has revealed people working for the Blackpool Trust do feel their role is making a difference to patients.

On the Fylde coast just over 4,000 people took part in the national survey, which is more than half of all employees.

Headline figures showed 88 per cent of people felt their roles make a difference to patients, which is higher than the national average, while74 per cent said care of patients and service users is the organisation’s top priority.