Strike action this week will significantly disrupt almost all routine care in the region’s NHS, the east of England’s top doctor has warned today.

Dr Edward Morris, regional medical director for the NHS in the east of England, said that industrial action by junior doctors, starting at 7am on Wednesday and ending at 7am on Saturday, means many routine procedures have already been postponed by the region’s trusts, as the NHS prioritises emergency and life-saving care.

Appointments and operations will only be cancelled where unavoidable and patients should still come forward unless they are contacted.

Junior doctors make up around half of all doctors in the NHS and are qualified doctors who have anywhere up to eight years’ experience working as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to three years in general practice.

Previous action by junior doctors across the east of England in April saw almost 2,500 staff off per day due to industrial action and more than 28,000 hospital appointments in the region disrupted.

Dr Edward Morris, regional medical director for the NHS in the east of England, said: “Whilst the region’s NHS is prepared for this week’s strikes, we know that – from the number of appointments that will need to be rearranged – they will have an enormous impact on routine care for patients and on waiting lists, as procedures can take time to rearrange.

“In what will be the seventh month industrial action has taken place across the NHS, what’s clear is the cumulative impact on our region’s services, as well as our staff, who continue to work incredibly hard to maintain safe patient services.

“Emergency, urgent and critical care will be prioritised this week, but unfortunately some patients will have their appointments postponed and will be offered an alternative date as soon as possible. If you haven’t been contacted to reschedule, please do continue to attend your appointment as planned.

“999 and A&E should only be used for life-threatening emergencies, with NHS 111 online being the first port of call for all other health conditions.”

Pharmacies and GPs are largely unaffected by the strikes so patients can still get appointments and health advice.

With warm weather across most of the region, the NHS is advising people to follow guidance, including keeping out of the sun at the hottest time of the day, drinking plenty of fluids and applying sunscreen.

Older people are particularly at risk in warm weather and are advised to keep living spaces cool by closing windows and drawing curtains during the day and opening them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. It’s also important to check the temperature of rooms where people at higher risk live and sleep.

More advice on how to cope in hot weather is available on the NHS website.