Written question WQ91661

Welsh Government will work with the BMA and NHS Wales to ensure life-saving and life-maintaining care is provided during the industrial action, and patient safety is maintained.

I outlined the planning preparations and formal planning process to you in WQ91449. That established process still stands for the strike planned in March, a formal lessons learned review following the first round of Junior Doctors action in January confirmed that the measures adopted were appropriate for future similar action. These measures remained in place for the Junior doctors strike in February and for the planned strike action in March.

We understand the strength of feeling from junior doctors regarding pay, but without additional funding from the UK Government we are unable to offer more. The 5% increase for 2023-24 is at the limits of the finances available to us and reflects the agreement reached with the other health unions for this year.

A full assessment of the action taken in February is not yet available.

However, our initial assessment is that over three quarters of junior doctors rostered to be in work took strike action. There were no emergency derogation requests and no reported issues from picket lines.

We are expecting an update on staff cover arrangements towards the end of March, after health boards have consolidated their payroll returns.