As a result of the junior doctor strike in England last week, nearly 88,000 NHS appointments have been cancelled.
Although hospital check-ups and operations accounted for the majority, just over 86,300, there were also 1,500 community and mental health appointments impacted.
In total, over 1.2 million appointments have been impacted since the inception of strikes within the NHS a year ago.
Junior physicians will observe the longest six-day strike in the history of the NHS beginning the following week.
It commences on January 3 and follows the breakdown of negotiations between the government and the British Medical Association (BMA) earlier this month.
The medical director of NHS England, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, stated that the strike takes place during one of the most hectic times of the year for the health service.
The National Health Service (NHS) is poised to face substantial obstacles once more as it endeavours to provide care for patients in the midst of widespread disruptions caused by strike action.
According to Professor Sir Stephen Powis, industrial action not only disrupts planned care but also places significant strain on broader services, as personnel levels are reallocated from other domains to ensure emergency care is prioritised.
Junior physicians, comprising nearly half of the NHS staff, range in age from recent university graduates to those with ten years or more of experience.
In addition to the BMA's two-thirds membership, individuals who are affiliated with the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association union also joined the organisation.
It necessitated the transfer of senior physicians from other services to staff emergency care, although A&E units were still forced to close in some areas.
Matthew Taylor, who represents managers on behalf of the NHS Confederation, stated that his members were in "despair" due to the disruptions caused by the strikes.
He stated that it was likely that the figures published on Wednesday were underestimated, given that many NHS trusts would have already reduced the amount of activity they had planned due to the strike action.
The BMA stated prior to that strike that it was "extremely dismayed" to be resuming its actions following a previous halt in early October.
It has demanded that the government present an updated proposal. The BMA terminated negotiations subsequent to establishing an early December deadline for a resolution.
Discussions were underway regarding a proposed 3% average salary increase beginning in January; this would have been in addition to the nearly 9% junior physicians received on average in April. However, the BMA deemed that insufficient; novice physicians had requested an additional 35% to compensate for pay increases below inflation since 2008.
It is estimated that industrial action in the English National Health Service, which began last December with walkouts by ambulance personnel and nurses, cost over £2 billion to cover costs associated with planning, preparations, and coverage.
In May, a pay offer was accepted by NHS employees besides physicians, whereas consultants have halted their strike action pending a vote on a new offer from the government.
In January, junior physicians will also engage in a strike in Wales, whereas in Northern Ireland they are undergoing a balloting process. In Scotland, however, a remuneration agreement has been reached.
