Patient Update: Industrial Action

Many patients will be aware of the industrial action taking place in the NHS this month.

Two days of strikes by nursing staff have taken place (15th December and 20th December) with Ambulance and Paramedic staff due to strike on 21st and 28th December.

It is important to note that GP services are not directly impacted by this strike action. Patients should continue to attend scheduled appointments.

All NHS services will continue, and if you have an appointment at a hospital or elsewhere in the NHS you should attend as scheduled.

In the event that your appointment does need to be rearranged, the NHS will contact you directly.

Where patients may see an impact is on response times, which will be slower with a reduced workforce. There will be fewer ambulances on the roads, and life-threatening emergencies will be prioritised.

For the same reason, we would encourage anyone who needs non-urgent medical help to use NHS 111 online, rather than by phone. As well as self-help advice, the symptom checker tool can connect you to a healthcare professional if you need a consultation.

Regardless of any strike action taking place, 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.