Advice to patients during junior doctor industrial action: 11 - 15 April 2023 | Latest news

Advice to patients during junior doctor industrial action: 11 - 15 April 2023

Advice to patients during junior doctor industrial action

From 7am on Tuesday 11 April 2023, some junior doctors across the NHS will take part in industrial action which is planned to last for 96 hours, concluding at 6.59am on Saturday 15 April 2023.

We have put extensive plans in place to minimise the impact on our patients and communities. We will prioritise emergency, urgent and critical care but there will be disruption to some services.

Attending appointments at our hospitals

Some appointments will need to be rearranged. If your appointment is impacted, we will contact you directly by sending you a text message or calling you directly.

Sometimes phone calls from our hospital phone lines can appear as 'private / withheld' numbers.

If you have an appointment at one of our hospitals during the period of industrial action, and we haven’t contacted you, please attend as normal.

We will make every effort to ensure that you are informed of any changes to your appointment, however there may be instances where this may not be possible. 

Rescheduling appointments

If your appointment is impacted, our teams will reach out to you as soon as possible to rearrange and offer you a new appointment date. If you have already booked NHS patient transport services, please remember to cancel your booking in good time. 

During this period, it is important that everyone that needs urgent medical attention continues to access NHS services. If you are suffering with symptoms of life-threatening or serious conditions, such as heart attacks and strokes, please call 999 or visit A&E. If you need care for a minor injury or illness, such as broken bones, sprains, minor infections, cuts and more, you will always been seen faster at an Urgent Treatment Centre or Minor Injuries Unit than a busy A&E.

You can find more information, including live waiting times, for these centres on our website here >

NHS 111 online and phone services remain available if you are unsure about where to receive care or need advice regarding your health. GP practices will continue to be open during the junior doctors strike. Please continue to attend your GP and dental appointments, unless you are contacted and told otherwise.

Changes to community blood clinics

Some phlebotomy services will be temporarily closed during the industrial action. From Tuesday 11 April to Saturday 15 April, the following clinics will be closed:

  • Babington Hospital, Derby Road, Belper, Derby, DE56 1WH
  • Coleman Health Centre, Coleman Street, Derby, DE24 8NH
  • Heanor Old Fire Station, Wilmot Street, Heanor, Derby, DE75 7EF
  • Hill Street Health & Well Being Centre, Hill Street, Burton Upon Trent, DE15 9LD

Several slots have been made available for urgent appointments at Ripley Hospital from 8am to 1pm. Florence Nightingale Community Hospital and Derby Urgent Treatment Centre will be open for pre-bookable appointments and walk-ins. Other clinics will be operating different opening hours to normal across Derbyshire and Staffordshire.

Further information on these changes can be found on our phlebotomy pages here >

Preparing ahead of the bank holiday weekend

Ahead of the bank holiday weekend (Friday 7 - Monday 10 April 2023), we would you to ensure that you have ordered and collected any repeat medicines, especially if you are travelling. If you need further advice, you GP practice will be able to provide online, phone and video consultations as well as arranging for prescriptions to be sent to any pharmacy you choose.

We would like to thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation during this period of industrial action.

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