Striking doctor called off picket line to treat ‘very sick' babies
Nottingham City Hospital has reached an agreement with the BMA that a doctor can be exempted from strikes to work on the neonatal intensive care unit this weekend because the strike meant the ward did not have enough doctors to look after 'very sick babies'.
Dr Melissa Ryan, co-chair of the BMA's resident doctors' committee, is a trainee paediatrician who usually works on the wards in the Nottingham hospital. Alongside Dr Ross Nieuwoudt she has led the BMA into the five-day strike, which began at 7am today, in pursuit of a 29 per cent pay rise.
Ryan has not been called back to work. She is 130 miles away in London, helping to lead demands for higher pay on a picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in Westminster.
The NHS has encouraged hospitals to seek 'derogations', where resident doctors are required to work if patient safety is at risk . Derogations must be agreed with local BMA leaders on a case-by-case basis.
Speaking to The Times from the picket line on Friday morning, Ryan said: 'I do know that we've granted a derogation already. It is actually at my work, with the babies on one of the neonatal units I work on. That is because it is an intensive care unit for babies. We've recently expanded it.
'We don't have enough senior staff to cover the doctors that aren't there, the residents. And actually, it is important to us that those very sick babies get a lot of care. So we have granted a resident doctor to go back.'
Ryan joined a group of about 30 junior doctors on the picket line at St Thomas' who chanted: 'What do we want? Full pay restoration. When do we want it? Now. How are we going to get it? Striking.'
The derogation for the neonatal intensive care ward in Nottingham is the first to have been agreed so far during the latest strike.
The BMA said: 'We have agreed a derogation at City Hospital, Nottingham, for one resident doctor to support [the neonatal intensive care unit] on Saturday and Sunday. If contacted, we advise resident doctors to return to work. Thank you for your support for taking industrial action.'
Up to 50,000 resident doctors — formerly known as junior doctors — have joined the strike around England, which will run until 7am on Wednesday.
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said 'we are doing everything we can to minimise' patient harm and accused the BMA of trying to 'hold the country to ransom'.
Asked about the risk of patient harm, he said: 'I'm really proud of the way that NHS leaders and frontline staff have prepared and mobilised to minimise the disruption and minimise the risk of harm to patients. We've seen an extraordinary response, including people cancelling their leave, turning up for work and resident doctors themselves ignoring their union to be there for patients. I'm extremely grateful to all of them.
'What I can't do today is guarantee that there will be no disruption and that there is no risk of harm to patients. We are doing everything we can to minimise it, but the risk is there, and that is why the BMA's action is so irresponsible.
'They had a 28.9 per cent pay award from this government in our first year, there was also an offer to work with them on other things that affect resident doctors' working lives, and that's why I think this is such reckless action. This government will not allow the BMA to hold the country to ransom and we will continue to make progress on NHS improvement, as we've done in our first year.'
Sir Jim Mackey, the chief executive of NHS England, had told trust leaders to maintain more routine care during the strikes this year, including by seeking more 'derogations'. He has also asked hospitals to limit resident doctors' ability to work locum shifts during the strike and earn money that way.
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