The latest round of junior doctors’ strikes saw nearly 37,000 appointments rescheduled across the capital. The six-day strike from 3 to 9 January meant 36,855 elective and outpatient appointments were postponed in London.
More than 20,000 junior doctors took part in the strike, with the highest number of walkouts across London being nearly 5,000 on the first day of industrial action.
The total number of hospital inpatient and outpatient appointments cancelled in London over twelve months of industrial action now stands at 373,855.
NHS England – London Chief Nurse, Jane Clegg said: “The record six-day strike by junior doctors came at a very challenging time for NHS staff as they worked hard to meet the increased demands of winter.
“We are now approaching 375,000 appointments rescheduled due to strikes over more than a year. We know this is having a huge impact on NHS services, as well as patients and their families who need our care. I’d like to thank our staff for doing all they can to ensure they maintain safe patient services, while they continue to tackle record waiting lists.
“We’re grateful to Londoners for using our services wisely – calling 999 in life-threatening emergencies and contacting NHS 111 for other health concerns, as well as using local services including GPs and pharmacies. This will help us to help those who need us most as we recover from this latest round of industrial action and continue to see a rising number of winter viruses across the capital.”
