Junior doctor industrial action: 3 – 9 January 2024

On a blue background there is the text: Industrial Action, Wednesday 3 - Tuesday 9 January 2024. Junior doctors are striking for 6 days. If you need medial help continue to use NHS 111 online or call 111 (24/7). Underneath is an icon of a computer screen and a mobile phone. In red underneath are the words: In emergencies, please call 999 or visit your local A&E. Around the words is a border of red and yellow stripes, representing hazard tape.

Junior doctor industrial action: 3 – 9 January 2024

3rd January 2024

Junior doctors in England will be taking strike action from 7am 3 January – 7am 9 January. If you need health advice and treatment during this period of planned industrial action please use services responsibly and appropriately:

  • You should continue to use pharmacies, GP practices, walk-in centres and NHS 111 online or by phone 24/7 for urgent health advice – Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership information: Get the right care and support – ICS (surreyheartlands.org) and Frimley Health and Care: Choose the right service | Frimley Health and Care
  • You should only use 999 and A&E for serious or life-threatening conditions or medical emergencies (when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk).
  • If your appointments or procedures have been affected by industrial action the local NHS will contact people directly to reschedule them as soon as possible. If you haven’t been contacted, please attend your appointment as usual.

Further information is available on the Surrey Heartlands website – Surrey braces for the longest period of strike action in NHS history | News centre – ICS (surreyheartlands.org) and the Frimley Health and Care website – Longest strike action set to severely disrupt the NHS in the New Year | Frimley Health and Care

If you have an experience to share during this period of industrial action, please do contact us. As well as informing us of local impact, we also share all of the experiences we hear with Healthwatch England – jointly with 4 other organisations, they have already written a letter to the Chair of the Council of the British Medical Association (BMA) and to the Secretary of State of the Department of Health and Social Care stating concerns about the on-going industrial action within the NHS. They urge both the Government and the BMA to get back to the negotiating table, believing that further strikes will be a major blow for the service already grappling with record waiting lists, winter pressures and the financial fall out of previous industrial action. Further details about this are available on the Healthwatch England website.