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As you may be aware, a number of junior doctors may follow the industrial action from 6.59am on Monday 13 March to 6.59am Thursday 16 March 2023.

The reasons for the strike are outside of our control, but the NHS as a whole has tried and tested plans to deal with a range of disruption, including industrial action. These plans are robust and protect the safety, welfare and service provided to patients and service users.

We are working very hard to keep disruption at a minimum, however, the strike will have a significant impact on NHS services and we ask the public to be aware of how to ensure they get the help they need during this time.

Patients with appointments booked on strike days will be contacted by the NHS Trust if their appointment needs to be rescheduled due to industrial action. If you have not been contacted, you should still attend your appointment as planned.

Regardless of industrial action, please continue to seek urgent medical care if someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.

GP services may be busier than usual. Consider using your GP surgeries online consultation form if they have one. This will allow the surgery to find the right place for your needs and frees up the phone lines for those unable to go online.

The NHS is asking patients to use services wisely during industrial action and take simple steps to help ensure care is available to patients who need it most:

Call 111 online as the first port of call for health needs and continue to only use 999 if it is a life-threatening emergency.

Patient/public FAQs

What if I have an appointment on a strike day?

Owing to planned industrial action we are cancelling some activity between Monday 13th-16th March 2023. This is to ensure that we able redeploy staff to cover priority services. 

The Trust will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action. This is likely to be a text, phone call or a letter. If we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as planned. We apologise for any inconvenience. You will receive further communication confirming an alternative date. 

If we have not contacted you to cancel your appointment, please attend as planned.

What if I need urgent or emergency care?

Anyone who needs urgent care should use NHS111 online to be assessed and directed to the right care for them. If you do not have internet access then 111 helpline is available. When someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk, you should seek emergency care in the normal way, by calling 999.

Will emergency care be affected on strike days?

Emergency care will continue to be available across all parts of the country. It is really important that in emergency and life-threatening cases - when someone is seriously ill or their life is at risk patients continue to come forward as normal.

I have a loved one who will be a hospital inpatient on strike day – how will their care be affected?

All hospital inpatients will be informed of how their care will be impacted on a ward-by-ward basis by the staff involved in delivering their care.

Will GP services be affected on strike days?

GP services will be running as normal on strike days. Please continue to attend scheduled GP appointments as planned.

When will I find out if my appointment is rescheduled?

The NHS will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action. This is likely to be a text, phone call or a letter and you should be offered an alternative date for your appointment. If we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as planned.

If my appointment is rescheduled, will I be put back to the bottom of the waiting list?

Any appointments that need to be rescheduled will be done so as a priority.

Is there anything I should do now?

No, the NHS will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action.

Should I cancel my appointment on the day of strikes?

No, if we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as planned.

What should I do if I need an ambulance?

Patients should only call 999 if seriously ill or injured, and there is risk to life. Ambulances will be dispatched where clinically appropriate.

For all other health care needs support will be available through NHS111 online (if you do not have internet access then 111 helpline is available) or at your local GP or pharmacy.

What is considered an emergency?

Patients should only call 999 if seriously ill or injured, and there is risk to life.