Second period of Strike Action by Junior Doctors

A second period of industrial strike action is planned to take place next week by junior doctors between 6.59am Tuesday 11th April and 6.59am Saturday 15th April.

Ahead of this, Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System have issued the following advice to local people:

• Regardless of any strike action taking place, it’s 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.
• The NHS is asking patients to use services wisely during industrial action, which includes using 111 online as the first port of call for urgent health advice – but when it’s not a medical emergency – (or calling 111 if people do not have access to the internet).
• People 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 people aren’t contacted, we are asking them to attend their appointment as planned. The NHS will contact people directly if appointments need to be rescheduled due to strike action.
• Industrial action will put more pressure on services, so we are asking the public to be patient and kind to staff if services are busier and waits in A&E and walk-in centres are longer than usual.

Further information will be available on the Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership website – News centre – ICS (surreyheartlands.org)