Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said this week’s action will have a “catastrophic impact” on the NHS.
“There’s no point hiding the fact that there will be risks to patients, risks to patient safety, risks to patient dignity, as we’re not able to provide the kind of care that we want to,” he told Sky News.
The possibility of a further walk out by junior doctors in the week of the May Day Bank Holiday would coincide with strike action by teachers on May 2, coordinated by the National Education Union.
A post shared on the Junior Doctors Reddit forum in a discussion about future strike said: “2nd of May to the 16th – hits two bank holidays (Coronation included). Maximum chaos.”
However, junior doctors have less public support for their strike action than nurses and paramedics, polling suggests.
A survey by Ipsos of UK adults showed 54 per cent strongly supported the action of junior doctors, compared to 60 per cent who supported nurses and ambulance workers. More than a quarter (26 per cent) strongly opposed the action by junior doctors, the poll also found.
BMA waiting for ‘credible offer’
For pay negotiations to begin Mr Barclay has demanded the strikes be paused and that the union backs down from its 35 per cent pay rise demand. But the union has claimed 35 per cent is just a starting point and the minister is yet to make them a “credible offer”.
On Monday, Mr Taylor suggested that independent mediators, Acas, should be called in to conciliate talks, “because if anything the positions seem to have hardened over the last couple of days”.
The BMA told The Telegraph they met with Acas in December to ask for help facilitating negotiations.
A union spokesman said they would “welcome talks with the government through Acas”.
“We assume that Steve Barclay’s preconditions are the obstacle to Acas organised talks as they have been throughout this dispute,” they added.
Similarly to the previous pay talks with nurses and paramedics, Mr Barclay has called for all strikes to be paused while negotiations are ongoing. The BMA’s suggestion to bring in mediators could prove a way through the deadlock.
Mr Barclay said: “If the BMA is willing to move significantly from this position and cancel strikes we can resume confidential talks and find a way forward, as we have done with other unions.”
