Has recent industrial action affected your NHS treatment or appointment?

The latest data from NHS England shows that more than 113,000 hospital appointments and procedures in England were affected by the latest strike by junior doctors.

This means that a total of 1.33 million inpatient and outpatient hospital appointments have been cancelled since the current spell of industrial action began in December 2022.

Healthwatch England chief executive Louise Ansari said:

“These figures are a stark reminder that is patients who are bearing the brunt of the industrial action, with their appointments cancelled or rescheduled.

The cumulative effect of various strikes now hitting the NHS for more than a year also means people are experiencing multiple cancellations, affecting their confidence in health services, often leaving them in pain, feeling stressed and anxious.

People need to be protected from yet another year of disrupted services and risks to their health. We are urging Government and the BMA to redouble their efforts to reach an agreement.”

Please continue to share any experiences that you have had – we (and other local Healthwatch) share what we hear with Healthwatch England to help create a national picture and uses the feedback you share with us to make reports and recommendations.

You can share any experience you have of health and social care with us by completing our online form or you can contact our Helpdesk