Significant disruption to NHS services is expected as junior doctors and consultants are striking for the first time together.
This is the tenth month of industrial action across the NHS and this upcoming period by hospital consultants and junior doctors will be the most challenging yet as it will include a 24-hour period when both groups will be striking at the same time.
This industrial action will see 96 hours of continuous strikes, starting with consultants striking from 7am on Tuesday 19 September until 7am on Thursday 21 September and junior doctors striking from 7am on Wednesday 20 September until 7am on Saturday 23 September. This means that both groups will strike together on Wednesday 20 September.
Craig Harris, chief of strategy, commissioning and integration at NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), which organises health services for the region, said: “This will be an extremely difficult period of time for the NHS so we’re encouraging the public to use NHS services appropriately and to please use NHS 111 Online for all non-emergency healthcare needs.
“We are extremely grateful for the public’s support during this lengthy period of industrial action, and we’d like to reassure everyone that the NHS has tried and tested plans in place to mitigate risks to patient safety and manage the disruption caused by industrial action.
“It is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.”
The NHS is working hard to prioritise resources during industrial action 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.
Unfortunately, the hospital consultants and junior doctor strikes will have a significant impact on planned and routine care. The NHS will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action. If we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as planned.
Local NHS services will be using their websites and social media channels to provide up-to-date information to the public about local service disruption – so please check before you travel.
NHS 111 Online can tell you:
- Where to get help for your symptoms.
- How to find general health information and advice.
- Where to get an emergency supply of your prescribed medicine.
- How to get a repeat prescription.
- How to get an emergency dental appointment.
More information about when to call 999 and when to go to A&E is available via the national NHS website.