Junior Doctors in Sheffield will go on strike during the festive period over the ongoing pay dispute with the government.
The British Medical Association announced that strikes will take place from 20 December for three days and 3 January for six days.
The BMA rejected the government’s 3% pay increase after five weeks of negotiations.
Tess Sanders, 22, who is on placement at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, supports the Junior Doctors who are striking.
She said: “I think the working conditions for all medical staff at the moment is really bad, especially for Junior Doctors. It’s not just the salary, it’s the amount of pressure you are under, the amount of responsibility you have and the lack of support from senior consultants and staff.
“So I support the strikes 100%. It’s hard enough navigating that job without having all these added political problems.”
BMA Junior Doctors committee co-chairs, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, said: “It is a great shame that even though the approach was more constructive, there was not enough on offer to shape a credible deal, which we hoped would end the dispute.
“Without enough progress by the deadline, we have no choice but to take action that demonstrates doctors are as determined as ever in reversing their pay cuts.”
Statistics from NHS England show that waiting lists for hospital treatment in Sheffield are below the national average.
But the upcoming strikes are likely to disrupt people receiving treatment this winter.
Dr Jennifer Hill, Medical Director at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Any period of industrial action is always difficult, but the upcoming extended strike brings with it additional challenges because we will have less staff working over the Christmas holidays.
“We will be prioritising patient safety and emergency care and we would ask the public to bear with us and support us by being kind to staff and only use services if it is an emergency. Patients who have planned procedures will be contacted if there are any changes to their appointments.”
The six-day-long strike in January will be the longest in NHS history.
