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NHS England chief Amanda Pritchard says strike disruption will get worse NHS England chief Amanda Pritchard says strike disruption will get worse
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"Patients paying the price" for strikes, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard says
"Patients paying the price" for strikes, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard says
Patients are "paying the price" for the failure to stop strikes in the health service, the head of NHS England has said.Patients are "paying the price" for the failure to stop strikes in the health service, the head of NHS England has said.
Amanda Pritchard said industrial action had caused "significant" disruption, and would get worse in the next round of strikes later this month.Amanda Pritchard said industrial action had caused "significant" disruption, and would get worse in the next round of strikes later this month.
"All sides" had failed to prevent the strikes, she said.
Junior doctors and consultants will take part in a combined seven days of strike action in July.Junior doctors and consultants will take part in a combined seven days of strike action in July.
Ms Pritchard said the consultant strike will bring a "different level of challenge", because of a lack of cover. "All sides" had failed to prevent the strikes, she said.
Speaking to the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Ms Pritchard said that patients were paying the price for "all sides" failing to reach a resolution on strike action, which has plagued the health service throughout this year. Ms Pritchard told BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show that the consultant strike will bring a "different level of challenge", because of a lack of cover.
"There has been a significant amount of disruption, and that is only, at the moment, going to get more significant as we hit the next round of strikes," she said, referring to the industrial action in July. "There has been a significant amount of disruption, and that is only, at the moment, going to get more significant as we hit the next round of strikes," Ms Pritchard said, referring to the industrial action in July.
Senior doctors back strike action in EnglandSenior doctors back strike action in England
"The hard truth is that it is patients that are paying the price for the fact that all sides have not yet managed to reach a resolution," she said.
Last month, junior doctors voted for five days of strikes in mid-July - the longest strike yet.Last month, junior doctors voted for five days of strikes in mid-July - the longest strike yet.
They will walk out between 07:00 on Thursday 13 July and 07:00 on Tuesday 18 July after rejecting a government pay offer.They will walk out between 07:00 on Thursday 13 July and 07:00 on Tuesday 18 July after rejecting a government pay offer.
A few days after that strike ends, on 20 and 21 July, hospital consultants will also go on strike over pay.A few days after that strike ends, on 20 and 21 July, hospital consultants will also go on strike over pay.
Ms Pritchard said consultants' work cannot be covered "in the same way" as junior doctors.Ms Pritchard said consultants' work cannot be covered "in the same way" as junior doctors.
She also called for the industrial action to be brought to an end as soon as possible, saying it cannot become "business as usual in the NHS". The health service has been plagued by strike action throughout this year, with doctors, nurses, ambulance workers, porters and others walking out in disputes, mainly over pay.
A breakthrough came in May, when unions representing all NHS staff except doctors and dentistsbacked a deal to receive a 5% pay rise.
However, junior doctors and hospital consultants have still not reached an agreement with the government.
Ms Pritchard acknowledged that it would be several years before the situation in the health sector returned to anything like good enough, and stressed that the service was doing all it could to bring waiting lists down.
NHS England says more than 600,000 appointments have been cancelled in previous strikes. The ongoing failure of the government and some of the medical unions to find agreement is only going to crank the pressure up still further.
Ms Pritchard called for the industrial action to be brought to an end as soon as possible, saying it cannot become "business as usual in the NHS".
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Strike actionStrike action