NHS faces most significant strikes ever

Commenting as four days of strikes begin by junior doctors, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “These are the most significant strikes the NHS has ever had to manage with huge disruption to key frontline services expected so that urgent and emergency care can be prioritised.

“Health leaders understand why junior doctors feel they have no choice but to take part in these latest walkouts but they are disappointed to be in this worrying situation where patients will have to wait longer for care and where basic safety will be compromised.

“As we’ve seen with other forms of industrial action, a period of negotiation is likely to happen eventually - it’s just a question of when and how much damage will be caused along the way. Health leaders want both sides to do everything within their power to find some common ground as soon as possible.”