Resident Doctors at Weston General Hospital begin strike action

Resident doctors at Weston General Hospital have this morning taking strike action in a national dispute between the government and trades unions about pay.

The strike action is from rom 7am on Friday 25 July until 7am on Wednesday 30 July, and resident doctors who are members of the British Medical Association (BMA) are taking national strike action.

Doctors were awarded a 5.4% pay increase by the government, but the BMA still threatened strike action, claiming the increases did not account for historical pay freezes. Instead the BMA is calling for a rise of 29.2% to bring salaries back in line with 2008 levels.

In July last year resident doctors were awarded a raise of 22% over 2 years bringing to an end months of strike action. It was the highest public sector award in recent years.

But the trade union the represents resident doctors, the British Medical Association (BMA) argues that pay has declined significantly since 2008 when adjusting for inflation. The latest deal saw doctors given a 4% increase, plus £750 "on a consolidated basis" which equates to an average rise of 5.4%.

A spokesperson for University Hosptials Bristol & Weston said; "Patient safety is our top priority. We have tried and tested plans in place and are committed to keeping disruption caused by the industrial action to a minimum. If you have an appointment during the period of strike action, please attend your appointment unless you hear from us. Please don't call to check if your appointment is going ahead. We will be in touch with patients directly if we need to rearrange your appointment.

"Our urgent and emergency services are continuing to run throughout the industrial action. If you have a life-threatening emergency our emergency department in Bristol remains open 24 hours a day, and at Weston General Hospital it remains open 14 hours a day (8am-10pm), as usual.Please be aware, that like the wider NHS and local health and care system, all of our hospitals are really busy:• If you have a minor illness or minor injury, local GP surgeries and pharmacies will be open during the days of industrial action.• If you have an urgent medical problem that isn't an emergency and aren't sure what to do, contact 111 first by phone or online - they will provide immediate medical advice and direct you to the best care for your needs."

We continue to welcome family members and loved ones to visit patients at our hospitals during strike action"