Why is strike by senior doctors different to other NHS staff?
We have had over eight months of industrial action by NHS health workers including junior doctors and nurses.
But this strike by hospital consultants is different.
There is real concern among Trust leaders about the impact it will have.
That is simply because when they walk out there is nobody to cover their roles.
All work except the most urgent like cancer care will have to stop.
The doors to the emergency department will stay open too and there will be contingency planning for any major incident.
But all of this has to be done with a Christmas-style rota for two consecutive days starting today and again next month.
A senior consultant I spoke to yesterday said he and his seniors were exhausted from covering for their junior colleagues.
And these junior doctors are being balloted for more strike action. So that cycle will likely continue.
Many NHS consultants are allowed to work privately during strike days.
So they will not have the financial pressure that forces other workers to return to work.
But more than this is the mood. The doctors’ union the British Medical Association (BMA) is furious with the government. And that anger shows no sign of easing.
NHS leaders are now openly admitting the prime minister’s pledge to cut waiting lists is simply not going to happen.
At the same time, he has said there will be no improvement in his offer of a 6% rise.
This means months of misery for patients and extra pressure on the NHS as it begins to plan ahead for winter.