to say that I am really glad not to be in labour today

[var123]

and to feel really sorry for anyone who is. Its stressful enough without worrying about not getting help if things start to go wrong.

Var

With regards to elective caesarean's- don't you think that will have been planned around? I don't work in England, but from what I hear from friends who do the section planning lists have been altered to allow for this- some have done an extra patient for a few days, with longer lists after the strike, for instance. Some hospitals have enough consultants that they can still have elective sections and provide cover for these two days. Each hospital will have worked it out differently.

Women who need to be delivered over the next few days will still be delivered.

var123 still can't see how that adds up to the same number of pairs of hands as there were yesterday?
My department tomorrow:
2 elective theatre lists cancelled and 1 OPC. that would free up 6 people, to cover the 4 people on strike,. yes, I know that doesn't add up. Not nice for elective procedures being cancelled, but plenty of people around for emergency procedures.(btw, annual leave for 2 people have been cancelled.)

Any blame for unnecessary pain experienced by people whose non-emergency operations have been delayed by this should be pointed at the government and their total refusal to negotiate their unacceptable contract.

I'm fed up of hearing things will be safe; it depends on your definition of safe. If your planned knee surgery or gall bladder op was cancelled today then you may wait another few months in significant pain to have it done. That's harm to patients IMO.

I agree - your safe in hospitals today as hospitals have had time to plan and put contingencies in place.

But yes the routine health stuff is very important, covering serious health conditions, and that is not being done and that is going to adversely impact patients - I think the OP is concerned about the wrong people.

I saw this earlier, and think it's relevant - it's a note on Facebook from a hospital doctor (a friend of a friend):

Sorry it's a bit long!

Dear general public.

Please, please, please, if you are sick tomorrow, COME TO HOSPITAL.

At my site, all non urgent work is cancelled so that:

The Emergency department will be staffed by all the normal ED consultant plus 8 general medical consultants, 2 general surgical consultants, 2 orthopaedic consultants, 1 ENT consultant, 2 paediatric consultants, 1 gynaecology consultant, and 2 consultants from anaesthetics/intensive care.

Radiology will be staffed as normal by consultants.

Labour ward will have two consultant obstetricians and two consultant anaesthetists.

Intensive care will have two consultant intensivists.

Every ward will have a named consultant, backed up by a team of floating consultant anaesthetists and specialist physicians to perform advanced diagnostics and invasive therapies.

The emergency theatre list will be staffed by consultants, as will the orthopaedic trauma list.

Coronary care will have a consultant cardiologist.

The paediatric ward will have consultant paediatricians.

The resuscitation team will be consultant physicians and anaesthetists with three extra resuscitation officers.

There will be extra GPs screening at the front door to filter out those who don't need to be in hospital.

The wards will have extra nursing, pharmacy and phlebotomy staff, and extra IT support staff.

The only time you will have experienced a hospital this intensely staffed by the top tier is if you're from the Saudi Royal Family.

It's safe.

Please come (if you're unwell of course).

The only time you should really worry about falling ill is if the Tories manage to destroy our beautiful NHS, and you can't afford your private health insurance.

And to the twat that signed off on this headline , even you'll be treated well.

You'll probably have to pop in to have the rolled up copy of your paper removed from your rectum.

var123:
I know it sounds scary, but the others are right. The whole 'junior doctor' thing is so badly explained - it is all the doctors who are not consultants (so many into their 30's+ with families etc).
Also: "does that mean consultants only work 50% of the time?!" - they have a variety of tasks usually. They do their main job (operating for example) some of the time, plus then they have clinics where they see patients. Plus admin time where they write the letters, refer, get GP referrals etc. Plus teaching students and juniors. Plus reviewing cases - checking results, making decisions etc. Plus ward rounds of their admitted patients. Plus emergency work and on-call work.

So today, they will just be doing the hands-on patient part. Hence cancelled operations and clinics for people not in urgent need. Anyone who does have need will be looked after by the most senior staff in the hospital today. And they will all be on site, instead of needing to be called in when there is an emergency.
It is a GOOD day to be in labour!! (Plus obv the midwives and other maternity staff are not striking...)

It's my due date today. I'd be more than happy to go into labour today knowing that hospitals will be staffed by consultants!

I did read an article in my local paper at the weekend about the maternity unit closing and mothers being diverted quite a few miles away, which would not be ideal if you needed to get in quick. At least they are trying to let people know so other arrangments can be made, but you are right, I am glad i'm not full term at the moment.

I gave birth to DS2 on the January strike day. At no point did I go without, and an epidural arrived once asked for!

Good luck dragonboysmum

One of my good friends is a junior doctor - he has nearly 10 years of experience in his area. He is such a good person and already works hours that are way, way, way beyond the call of duty. I have never seen anyone so angry, so upset, so utterly pushed beyond the pale as he is right now by the government's proposals. He feels so powerless that he's even been thinking of walking out of the job, or ending his own life.

He is striking because he sees the NHS being torn apart and handed to private companies, and he knows that the rise to a 7-day NHS isn't being properly funded and will be dangerous. It's not just about the JDs conditions for themselves - they really are striking for all of us to ensure that changes made are safe and ethical. I don't think that point has been sufficiently covered in the media reaction to the strike.

I am very interested in certain subjects, but not this one. I won't try to contribute a view, certainly not the media's, nor the govts nor the junior doctors because I don't know enough about the rights and wrongs so I've nothing useful to offer.

I rather wonder why you started the thread then.

because I was just about to start work (still not started) and I just had a flashback to the day DS1 was born, and thought to myself I am glad that's not today, and without thinking much more deeply I posted the OP.

I thought about Hillsborough is coming to final conclusion today and remembered how young I was when that started. It seems like a lifetime ago. I could'v just as easily posted about that but I didn't.

I think people are reading too much into this. I should be affronted by the biscuits but I am not because all the implications e.g. that I am against the strike or avidly follow the DM are just not valid.

I am very interested in certain subjects, but not this one. I won't try to contribute a view, certainly not the media's, nor the govts nor the junior doctors because I don't know enough about the rights and wrongs so I've nothing useful to offer.

Seriously, OP, why start a thread on it if you acknowledge that you haven't informed yourself on it?

If you're worried about the situation, it can be easily resolved by Hunt withdrawing the imposed contract. Have you contacted him to ask for that?

Cross post

but I really have to go now. I will have to work into the evening to catch up as it is. So apologies for not posting further.

My son was recently badly injured in s climbing accident and has a lot of appointments. They have known about the strike for weeks and jiggled everything around so everyone who needs care is getting it - my son for example had some of this weeks appointments bought forward and some pushed back, which will not adversely affect his treatment st all

He was flown back to the UK on a medevac flight at 11 pm on a Friday night, admitted straightaway and had complex surgery involving 2 teams of surgeons on the Sunday Morning. His care by all levels of staff was remarkable, smooth and well organised. Jeremy Hunt is an idiot if he thinks weekend care isn't offered properly - it is, and the Junior doctors deserve our support.

So basically uninformed, ignorant scaremongering? Nice. Helpful.

Midwives are not on strike. Nurses are not on strike. Consultants are not on strike. Everyone who isn't on strike will be pulling out all the stops. You are far more likely to receive consultant care today than any other day. Stop being such a twat (and enjoy your baby, when s/he arrives!).

It is rather worrying though, is it not, that the position you have been almost groomed to state is the governments one? You admit you don't know much about it and aren't really interested... How pervasive the spin must be to work in to your head so thoroughly. And how sad that the other side hasn't been sufficiently explained so the casual observer such as yourself understands it.

It scares me how many people don't know who "junior" doctors actually are. It terrifies me that some people (looking at you, FIL) think that privatisation of the health service will be good "because surely it's doctors who will own them?"

today is probably a safer day to be sprog-dropping; the people attending you won't be exhausted.

you are still in the UK in 2016. No-one will be left screaming for three days and then die unattended in childbirth. Put down the Daily Mail.

I can't imagine it would be any worse then giving birth on boxing day morning as I did after being in labour all day Xmas day like any ward they have less staff around on wetlands ,bank holidays but not unsafe levels well in theory anyway ( ex RMN)

Weekends not wetlands stupid auto correct

ADTH I do think we need another name, 'junior' doctors makes them all sound like every single doctor is on their first year in a hospital and I genuinely think a lot of people dismiss their concerns based on that - the whole 'well, if you don't work hard when you're a junior...' type of thing.

YABU. And should be more concerned about the care you'll receive when those doctors who are striking for only 2 days finally pack up and head off to greener pastures. Thats when your care will suffer.

Yabu to be worried.

The consultants I work with are all disgusted with Jeremy Hunts scaremongering tactics to turn people against the junior doctors striking. Nobody will be at any risk today and that should be made clear to all.

All consultants I have seen today have been nothing but supportive of the junior doctors by covering for them and even wearing their "I support the junior doctors" badges. If you were unfortunate enough to be in hospital today I have every faith that you would be looked after with the best care.

YABU to have fallen for the Governments spin, and shouldn't trust sources such as the Daily Mail and the Torygraph which are determined to portray the junior doctors in a negative light.

Do yourself a favour and carry out proper research into cover for the strikes, then you'll realise you have no need to panic.