Hundreds of appointments cancelled at county hospitals in latest junior doctors strikes

Junior doctors walked out across England for six days – from February 24 to March 1 – in the latest action over their pay dispute with the Government.

At Shropshire's emergency hospitals, Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, both managed by Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust, hundreds of shifts were lost due to the strike.

Over the course of the six days at the trust a combined total of 443 members of staff went on strike.

The biggest impact at the trust was felt on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, February 26, 27, and 28, where more than 100 workers were on strike each day.

Throughout the action a total of 363 appointments and procedures were cancelled.

The strikes came amid the ongoing dispute between the Government and the BMA over demands for an increase in pay for junior doctors.

NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: “The NHS has yet again felt the strain of industrial action with more than 1,000 hours of routine care now disrupted because of doctors strikes.

“NHS staff worked incredibly hard to keep patients safe and cover striking colleagues and we are extremely grateful for their huge efforts and for the time and skill that went into the planning.

“These figures show the impact this is having on patients’ lives with 91,048 appointments postponed in recent days, but we know in reality this figure is likely to be far higher.

“At the same time as battling winter viruses and sustained pressures, NHS staff will also now return their focus to routine care and ensuring those patients who were meant to receive tests and treatment in recent days, do so as quickly as possible.”