'Month of worry' over doctor strike surgery delay

A patient waiting years for gastric bypass surgery says the resident doctors' strike in England has left him facing another delay and a month of worry.

BBC News reported on Wednesday that Tom Lawson’s operation has been postponed again because of the industrial action, which began on April 7 and is due to run until April 13.

NHS England warned before the strike that it would be difficult and likely to disrupt planned care, while saying urgent and emergency services would continue and priority treatment such as cancer care and urgent elective surgery should be protected.

The delay adds to pressure on patients already waiting for treatment. Lawson’s case highlights how industrial action can affect people whose operations have already been postponed for months or years.

The NHS has urged the public not to delay seeking medical help during the strike and said people should still come forward for urgent care.

The action is part of a wider dispute that has raised concern about cancellations and longer waits across the health service, even as hospitals try to keep essential services running.