Information for patients: upcoming industrial action by doctors
Next week, some junior doctors and consultants across the NHS including those at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, are planning to take part in strike action.
Some consultants and junior doctors will be taking part in industrial action from 7am on Monday 2 October, concluding at 7am on Thursday 5 October 2023.
We are sorry that, during this time, some of our services will be affected and there may be delays in accessing our care, but our compassionate staff are still here for you should you need to access care. We will prioritise emergency, urgent and critical care, as well as focusing on patients who have waited the longest for elective care and cancer surgery, 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.
Sometimes phone calls from our hospital phone lines can appear as 'private or 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 contact 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. We appreciate that changes to appointments can be frustrating. Our teams are working hard to ensure that they can reschedule appointments as soon as possible, and appreciate the support from our patients during this time.
Throughout the strike period, as always, it is important that everyone who 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 be 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.
We would like to thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation during this period of industrial action.