Doctors will teach life saving techniques while they go out on strike over contracts.
The junior doctors from Macclesfield Hospital will run the sessions as they strike over two days in protest over proposed changes to their working contracts by the government. It’s the fifth strike in recent months but the first time doctors in strikes around the country will walk out of A&E. Bosses at Macclesfield Hospital say there will be no reduced service at A&E in the town.
The junior doctors will take part in a picket line outside the hospital from 8am this morning (Tuesday, April 26), and will head to the Market Place from 10am until 3pm to teach members of the public life saving techniques, including how to give chest compressions, placing a person in the recovery position and how to manage choking.
They also plan to do the same tomorrow.
Dr Rosie Long, junior doctor and representative for union the British Medical Association (BMA), said: “We will be teaching techniques such as CPR and choking to the community.
"We are deeply regretful for the inconveniences caused by our industrial action and we never thought it would need to escalate to a full walk out strike. Our seniors at the hospital remain supportive and they have plans in place to minimise any disruption from the industrial action.
“These skills really do save lives so please do come along.”
Bosses can’t yet say how many appointments will be cancelled but say the numbers are likely to be similar to those of the last strike which saw 118 outpatient appointments cancelled over two days.
The focus of the dispute is over how much doctors should be paid to work weekends and better measures to protect doctors from long hours.
The latest strikes come after health secretary Jeremy Hunt rejected a cross-party plan by MPs for a new NHS contract for junior doctors to be piloted first in a bid.
The strike is from 8am to 5pm on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A spokesman for East Cheshire NHS Trust which runs the hospital said contingencies are in place to minimise disruption and that no operations are likely to be canclled.
He said: “The industrial action is due to a national dispute over changes to junior doctor’s terms and conditions and is not directly related to East Cheshire NHS Trust.”
Follow updates on Twitter @EastCheshireNHS.
The last time Junior Doctors went on strike, they sold cakes from the picket line to raise money for the hospice as they protested over contracts.
