Hallamshire Hospital's minor injuries unit closed for two days - this is why
Hospital service closed despite doctors strike cancellation
The junior doctors may have called their strike off - but Sheffield’s hospitals still suffered despite the late change.
The minor injuries unit at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital has been closed today (Monday, June 15) and will remain closed tomorrow, June 16, with officials blaming the rotas that were put in place to deal with the strike.
Officials at the hospital explained they usually closed the minor injuries unit during industrial action to enable staff to be concentrated in the main A&E department, at the Northern General, at a time when they have fewer doctors.
The strike has been stood down - but the staff rosters were already in place. So bosses are having to sort out the staffing to re-open it.
A spokesman added: “All other urgent care options are available and patients can attend A&E.”
Resident doctors in England called off strike action after the Government made a new offer which will be put to members.
They were set to stage a four-day walkout from 7am on Monday - the 16th round of strike action since 2023.
But the British Medical Association (BMA) said on Saturday that a last-minute offer had been made, which will be put to members.
Dr Jack Fletcher , chairman of the BMA's resident doctors committee (RDC), said: "We have always been clear that no strikes needed to go ahead if we received an offer appropriate to put to our members.
"This should not have been left to the last moment, but we hold up our end of the bargain when the Government shifts its position."
The offer is understood to include standard 2016 resident doctor contract terms for all locally employed doctors and an average 6.6 per cent pay uplift to be fully implemented by April 2027 .
Health Secretary James Murray said: "It is a positive and welcome development - especially for patients - that the BMA have called off these unnecessary strikes."
He added that after a 28.9 per cent pay rise for resident doctors over the last three years, "the country simply cannot afford to increase the pay offer for this year".