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NHS Kept 95% of Planned Care During Five-Day Resident Doctors' Strike Over Christmas Week

Health leaders are urging a settlement with the BMA to restore capacity.

Overview

  • NHS England reported that 94.7% of routine care went ahead between December 17 and 22 despite the walkout.
  • Thousands of patients were discharged for Christmas, leaving over 5,000 fewer people in hospital than last year and 78.5% of beds occupied on the day.
  • An average of 19,120 resident doctors were absent each day during the strike, up from a 17,236 daily average in November.
  • NHS 111 answered 414,562 calls during Christmas week, including 87,318 on December 27, as cold-weather alerts and a flu surge increased pressure.
  • NHS data reported by media indicate 3,167 inpatient elective procedures and more than 30,000 outpatient appointments were rescheduled, and the health secretary said he aims to resolve the BMA dispute this year.