NHS England’s deputy chief nurse Charlotte McArdle said the weekend’s industrial action had had a ‘significant impact’ for patients and staff.
NHS leaders have warned that strike action is making it “more difficult” for the health service to tackle the backlog of care.
The comments were made as it emerged that 7,600 hospital appointments were postponed during the last strike by members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
The numbers are lower than previous strikes due to the planned action taking place on Sunday into the early May Bank Holiday Monday, when traditionally fewer operations would have been scheduled compared to weekdays.
The figures, released by NHS England, also show that at least 5,000 staff joined picket lines during the action – but many hospitals failed to report workforce figures so it is likely this figure will be much higher.
NHS England’s deputy chief nurse, Charlotte McArdle, said: “Despite the extensive efforts of NHS staff to keep patients safe and limit disruption amid the loss of thousands of vital nursing staff, this weekend’s industrial action has inevitably had a very significant impact for patients and staff.
“Across the NHS we have now seen more than half a million appointments and procedures rescheduled over the last six months as a result of strikes from staff in a range of NHS roles – and with each strike, it is becoming harder.
“Our staff are doing all they possibly can to manage the disruption and deliver rescheduled appointments as quickly as possible, but there’s no doubt that each round of industrial action makes it more difficult for the NHS to tackle the backlog.”
An estimated 7.22 million people were waiting to start routine hospital treatment at the end of February, the highest total since records began in 2007, according to figures from NHS England.
The news comes as nurses warned that strikes could continue until Christmas after rejecting the Government’s revised pay offer.
Because the majority of unions representing staff on the Agenda for Change contract voted in favour of the deal, the NHS Staff Council was able to recommend that the Department of Health should implement the pay offer on Tuesday.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay warned the RCN the deal was the “final offer” but the union vowed to ballot members later this month as it warned that strikes could take place across the whole NHS in England between June and December.
