NHS: Strike-hit appointments to be rebooked in two weeks but will impact others
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England's co-national medical director (secondary care), said that despite the five-day walkout by thousands of resident doctors in England, which began on Friday, local trusts have managed to maintain services with 'minimal disruption'.
She told BBC Breakfast: 'If there's any rescheduling or postponement of surgery or appointments then the hospitals try their upmost best to get that appointment rescheduled within two weeks.
'I know it is distressing and even two weeks is too long for somebody to wait and actually that has an impact on the people who who are then displaced at that two week period.'
Prof Pandit said there were three 'derogations' granted on Friday, a process which allows hospitals to request striking doctors return to work if there is a risk to patient safety.
Nottingham City Hospital reached an agreement with the British Medical Association (BMA) to exempt one doctor from the strike to work on the neonatal intensive care unit.
A derogation was agreed for one doctor in the emergency department and another doctor in the ISGM at the Northern General Hospital.
The BMA said it had also agreed a derogation for two anaesthetists to work at University Hospital Lewisham on Saturday to ensure patient safety.
It comes as Wes Streeting said 'we are doing everything we can to minimise' patient harm.
The Health Secretary condemned the strike as 'reckless' and said the Government would not allow the BMA to 'hold the country to ransom'.
Sir Keir Starmer made a last-minute appeal to resident doctors, saying the strikes would 'cause real damage'.
He added: 'Most people do not support these strikes. They know they will cause real damage…
'These strikes threaten to turn back the clock on progress we have made in rebuilding the NHS over the last year, choking off the recovery.'
The BMA has argued that real-terms pay has fallen by around 20% since 2008, and is pushing for full 'pay restoration'.
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