Strikes by junior doctors have cost the NHS around £1 billion so far, official figures suggest, ahead of the latest walkout on Friday.

<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/07/26/junior-doctors-stage-four-day-strike-august/">The 16 days of industrial action</a> so far have cost the health service hundreds of millions of pounds in cover for absent staff, and disruption, as well as for making up lost appointments.

On Thursday, Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, said the strikes were diverting “significant amounts of money” away from front-line services, as well as causing the cancellation of <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/09/nhs-strike-more-cancelled-appointments-junior-doctor/">hundreds of thousands of operations</a> and consultations.

It comes as the latest NHS figures showed a record <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/10/nhs-waiting-list-record-high-junior-doctors-strikes-june/">7.6 million people waiting for care</a>, meaning one person affected for every three households.

The data revealed how <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/07/17/nhs-patients-waiting-year-treatment-rises-15pc-lib-dems/">the waiting list</a> rose by 102,000 in June after a three-day strike by junior doctors led to 106,000 appointments and procedures being cancelled.

Steve Barclay warns health service is having to pay ‘significant amounts’ to cover absence as medics prepare for latest walkout{ai:summary}<p>Junior doctors' strikes in the UK have cost the NHS £1 billion, resulting in the cancellation of hundreds of thousands of appointments and surgeries, and exacerbating an already record-breaking waiting list of 7.6 million people. #health</p>

Junior doctors’ strikes cost NHS £1bn

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