Doctors ‘ignore BMA’ to carry on working

During the recent strikes by junior doctors, many of them defied the British Medical Association (BMA) and returned to work to safeguard patient safety. The strike, marked by clashes between the union and health officials over patient safety concerns, saw at least 30 requests to allow junior doctors to cross picket lines for adequate coverage being rejected by the BMA. Amanda Pritchard, the NHS chief executive, expressed gratitude to the junior doctors who took steps to ensure patient safety, including those who returned to work without formal patient safety mitigations. Pritchard emphasised that the repeated drastic actions were not sustainable for the NHS, with patients, including those needing time-sensitive treatment, bearing the greatest personal risk during these strikes.