Strike action to severely disrupt services as people urged to use NHS 111 for all non-emergency healthcare needs
Residents in the South East of England are being urged to use NHS 111 online for all non-emergency healthcare needs ahead of industrial action just before Christmas and early in the New Year.
Junior doctors will take strike action from tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7am until 7am on Saturday (23rd). The NHS will prioritise urgent and emergency care as consultants’ step in to cover for junior doctors.
GP practices and pharmacies will continue to be open, and residents are being asked to attend any booked appointments unless contacted and advised otherwise. The NHS will only reschedule appointments and procedures where necessary and will rebook immediately, where possible.
Andrea Lewis, regional chief nurse for the South East, said: “This week, ahead of Christmas and one of the busiest of times for the NHS, we will see junior doctors striking for a period of three days. More than 150k appointments across the South East have been rescheduled over the past year around strikes and this latest action will cause further, unavoidable widespread disruption.
“The NHS is working hard to ensure that there is adequate staffing to provide urgent and life-saving care, and I would urge you to help us by continuing to choose our services appropriately, and to take simple steps to help ensure care is available to those who need it most.
She added: “Please use NHS 111 online as your first port of call for health needs and advice and only use 999 and A&E if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can visit the NHS UK website.
“I’d like to thank you all in advance for your continued support ahead of what is going to be a very busy period.”
After Christmas and New Year, the longest action ever by junior doctors is also planned from 7am on the 3rd January to 7am on the 9th January, meaning that in the coming three weeks, only two weekdays in the NHS are unaffected by holidays or industrial action.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “These strikes come at a time that will cause huge disruption to the NHS, with services are already feeling the strain of winter pressure.
“When you factor in the Christmas and New Year break, these strikes will prolong that period of reduced activity and it also puts the health service on the back foot into the new year, which is a time where we see demand start to rise significantly.”