THE number of operations cancelled due to the recent strikes at Warrington and Halton Hospital has been revealed.

Junior doctors recently walked out for six days, from January 3 to January 9, in an ongoing dispute over pay.

The NHS said it is the longest strike in its history and that it has caused ‘delay and disruption’ to thousands of patients.

At Warrington and Halton Hospitals Teaching Trust, 28 operations were cancelled due to the industrial action.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “Unfortunately, we have had to reschedule 28 procedures during this period of industrial action.

“These will be rescheduled in line with clinical urgency and length of time they have been waiting. We apologise to the patients and families affected.”

The British Medical Association (BMA) said it is yet to get an offer for talks to resume.

Speaking to the PA news agency, Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairman of the BMA’s junior doctors committee, said: “It takes two to tango – the Government also needs to involve themselves in that process for it to be successful.

“Ultimately, what we’re looking for is an end to this dispute… and the first way to do that is to restore the pay cuts that we have had, which will help restore the value in the profession.

“But until the Government is willing to negotiate with us we’re not able to unilaterally do that.

“So we won’t be calling for strike action unless and if we need to, but there is a real future where we don’t have to call for strike action ever again, if we’re able to come to an agreement.”

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, told PA: “Thousands more NHS patients will have been hit with delays and disruption due to this strike.

“This couldn’t have come at a worse time, with mounting seasonal pressures fuelled by a surge in winter viruses and a sharp uptick in Covid-19 cases.

“Throughout the last 14 months of NHS strikes, meticulous planning and hard work have allowed trusts to prioritise patient safety and protect emergency and critical care.

“But this walkout was the longest in NHS history so the scale of the challenge was that much greater.

“It will take time for the NHS to recover, including work on waiting lists and rebuilding staff morale.

“We urgently need both sides in this dispute – the Government and the BMA – to refresh negotiations and find a resolution.”