Hospitals across Greater Manchester are bracing for widespread disruption as resident doctors are set to begin a six-day walkout starting Tuesday, April 7, following the Easter bank holiday weekend. This industrial action, scheduled to last until 7am on Monday, April 13, marks the 15th round of strikes by resident doctors in England since 2023, accumulating 59 days of lost activity so far. The British Medical Association (BMA) and the government failed to reach an agreement on pay and jobs, leading to tens of thousands of resident doctors pressing ahead with their planned strike.

Adding to the strain, critical care staff at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, and Fairfield Hospital in Bury will also walk out for 24 hours on Tuesday, April 7. This separate strike by Northern Care Alliance employees, including nurses, clinical support workers, and housekeepers, is the second in an ongoing dispute over overtime payments and pension contributions. Unison, the union representing these workers, states they are being underpaid compared to staff directly employed by the NHS and that talks to avert this action collapsed last month. Unison North West regional organiser Kevin Dolan expressed disappointment at the trust's refusal to negotiate, emphasizing that staff are struggling to make ends meet and that critical care units rely on overtime due to workforce shortages.

In preparation for the strikes, NHS Greater Manchester has urged patients to attend scheduled appointments unless they have been contacted to reschedule, as services are expected to be significantly busier than usual. Some procedures and appointments may be postponed as staff prioritize urgent care. Dr Neil Bayman, Executive Medical Director for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, on behalf of NHS Greater Manchester, reassured patients that teams are working hard to ensure services operate safely. He advised patients to plan ahead for prescriptions, utilize pharmacies for minor ailments (such as earache, sore throats, or UTIs), contact the Greater Manchester Dental Helpline for dental pain, or use the Urgent Eye Care Service for vision changes or painful eyes. For life-threatening conditions, patients should call 999 or attend A&E, while NHS 111 (online or by phone) remains available for urgent but non-emergency help.

An NHS boss, Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, has warned that resident doctors could continue striking on a monthly basis for the next year if a pay deal isn't reached soon, describing it as a "long slog." With a mandate to continue strikes until August, the health service is considering a permanent shift in its workforce deployment strategy. Sir Jim indicated the NHS would become "less reliant" on resident doctors, making greater use of other clinicians like nurses, pharmacists, and paramedics. This strategy aims to build more reliable services and better suit hospitals struggling with trainee recruitment. He cited successful models in other countries and his own experience at Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust, where he built a less resident doctor-reliant service.

The BMA's resident doctors' committee recently rejected a pay offer worth up to 7.1% for this year, which would have brought their total pay rise over three years to 35%. This offer, which the committee did not put to members for a vote, would have increased basic pay for the most experienced resident doctors to £77,348 and average earnings to over £100,000, with first-year doctors earning an average of £52,000. Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticized the BMA's decision, calling the latest strikes "unnecessary and damaging" and expressing disappointment that no counterproposal was offered. The government, in response, scrapped plans to expand 1,000 speciality doctor training places, citing financial and operational impossibility given the strike's fallout. Sir Keir Starmer also accused resident doctors of "recklessly" walking away from the offer, stating patients would pay the price. The BMA, however, maintains that inflation necessitates a bigger rise and has offered to meet with Mr. Streeting over the Easter weekend to seek an improved deal, while Dr. Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA's resident doctors committee, stressed that scrapping training places is detrimental to both doctors and patients.