Junior Doctor Industrial Action

UPCOMING STRIKE DATES:
Junior Doctor Industrial Action

Thursday 27 June to Tuesday 2 July 2024

Industrial Action – What you need to know

The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced a eleventh round of junior doctor strike action that will take place at the end of the month. A five-day, full walkout is planned from 7am Thursday 27 June to 7am on Tuesday 2 July 2024.

The Industrial Action is in response to the ongoing pay dispute and is a matter that remains between the unions and the Government.  

What this means for you:

This period of industrial action will cause disruption to some services, and some appointments will unfortunately have to be rearranged. We will contact patients directly if their appointment is affected by this next round of strike action. If you have not been contacted then please attend your appointment as planned.

Our priorities remain to provide safe care for patients who are receiving inpatient care in our hospitals and those who need urgent and emergency medical care and treatment.  We are working hard to prioritise resources to protect emergency treatment, critical care, neonatal care, maternity and trauma, and ensure we prioritise patients who have waited the longest for elective care and cancer surgery. We will only reschedule appointments and procedures where necessary and will rebook immediately, where possible. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding during these times.  We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused. 

The impact on our Emergency and Urgent Services:

Our Emergency Department (ED) has remained busy throughout the winter period and will remain open during this period of industrial action.  It is vitally important that you attend the right healthcare setting for your needs, our ED is there to treat the most urgent and life-threatening conditions, so if you attend ED with an injury or illness that does not require urgent assistance, then please be prepared for either a prolonged wait, or to be sent to a more appropriate setting for your healthcare needs. 

If you need medical help for something that isn’t life threatening or a serious injury please call NHS 111 or NHS 111 Online.  You will be directed to the most appropriate place for your care or treatment. GP practices will remain open so please continue to attend your GP and dental appointments, unless you are contacted and told otherwise.

When to contact NHS 111:

  1. You need medical help fast, but it's not a 999 emergency
  2. You don't know who to call for medical help or you don't have a GP to call
  3. You think you need to go to A&E or another NHS urgent care service; or
  4. You require health information or reassurance about what to do next

Outpatient appointments

During this period of action we will need to rearrange some appointments to ensure we have safe levels of staffing on our wards, in our emergency departments and other critical care areas. Patients with an appointment planned during the period of action will be contacted directly if their appointment needs to be rescheduled. We appreciate how disappointing this will be for anyone waiting for treatment or investigations and we are sorry to postpone arrangements. However, we will rearrange any cancelled appointments as soon as possible. Patients who are not contacted in advance should attend their appointment as planned.