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Junior doctors across Redbridge and Havering to strike next week
Queen's Hospital's A&E department - Credit: Archant
The strike by junior doctors is back on after talks with the government broke down.
On January 12, junior doctors at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust will only provide “emergency care only” for 24 hours from 8am.
If no agreement is reached after this, a 48-hour walk out is planned from 8am to 5pm on January 26-28, followed by a third day of action in February.
In December, plans by the British Medical Association to strike were cancelled, in order to re-enter talks with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and NHS employers.
But those negotiations have failed to reach an agreement.
In the vote in December, 98 per cent voted in favour of full strike action and 99pc in favour of action just short of a full strike.
More than 37,700 members of the British Medical Association were sent ballot papers and 76pc took part.
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Chief executive Matthew Hopkins said: “We are working closely with our colleagues in the BMA to understand what disruption may be caused to the full range of services we provide.
“Our overriding priority is to ensure we continue to provide high standards of patient safety and care at all times.”
“We intend to put in place measures that will enable us to make real-time assessments of staffing levels, ensure a quick response to any issues that might develop, and allow us to continue to provide safe and compassionate care to all our patients.
“Junior doctors are a very important part of our multi-disciplinary teams and we value the huge contribution they make to patient care.”
Simon Fleming, 32, an orthopaedic registrar at BHRUT, said he was supportive of any strike action mandated by the BMA.
He said: “What we want is safe doctors, safe patients and a safe NHS.
“It’s these three things that junior doctors are fighting for and what the proposed contract puts at risk.
“During any strike, patients will be seen and taken care of by consultants and other medical professionals.”
