Doctors strike impact on maternity services

[givemethetea]

Does anyone know how the junior doctor strikes are impacting maternity services, especially labour wards and nicu?

I'm due my baby during the strike in January and I'm a bit concerned on what will happen should there be an emergency or just for prescribing pain relief (assuming that it will be doctor over midwife)

Has anyone who works in maternity got any advice for this or had anyone recently had issues in labour because of previous strikes?

It will be covered by consultants. Even during the consultant strikes people who need emergency or immediate care will still get it. My Mum’s emergency operation was done by a consultant during the consultants strike. She wasn’t giving birth but the same idea applies. It’s not a total walk out.

Consultants will cover.

I have a friend (in a different specialty, but also one where you can't just reschedule) and they've all had to agree extra hours to ensure safe care for those who cannot wait. It's been hugely demanding in terms of their work/life balance (as most consultants exceed their NHS contracted hours by a considerable margin before adding this), but there is still a strong sense of vocation.

Some more routine things (antenatal appointments where there is no time-sensitive cause for concern) might need to be rescheduled

I’m a midwife, also due over junior doctors strikes in January. Consultants cover the short fall, but also the more strikes they are having the less junior doctors are involved I’ve found, no pay for days on end month in and out is unaffordable for many of them.

care has not been compromised within maternity/nice at all. Also midwives prescribe a reasonable amount of pain relief. You will be okay

Thanks for the reassurance, I fully back them to strike it's just a balance between that and the concern for any emergencies should they arise during labour

Consultants and SAS grades have covered all the other strike dates…will be the same for the next lot.