Advice to patients during junior doctor industrial action
From 7am on Monday 13 March 2023, some junior doctors across the NHS will take part in industrial action which is planned to last for 72 hours, concluding at 6.59am on Thursday 16 March 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 a 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.
We may send you a text message or call you, 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.
We would like to thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation during this period of industrial action.