Access NHS healthcare as normal during resident doctors’ strike, people in North East and Yorkshire urged
Ahead of four days of strike action by resident doctors, NHS teams in the North East and Yorkshire are urging people to seek medical care as normal.
The British Medical Association has announced industrial action by resident doctors from 7am on Monday (15 June) until 6.59 am on Friday 19th.
During this period all other NHS staff, including consultants and other specialist doctors, will be working, and the NHS will work hard to ensure as many services as possible continue to operate safely.
Dr Hamish McLure, the Regional Medical Director for NHS England in the North East and Yorkshire, said the NHS is asking patients to choose services appropriately during the strike action and take simple steps to ensure care is available to patients who need it most.
This includes using 111 online as the first port of call for health needs, and only using 999 if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E visit the NHS UK website.
GP practices, pharmacies, NHS 111 and urgent and emergency care services will continue to be available during the four days of strike action. Patients should also attend planned appointments unless they have been contacted to reschedule.
Dr McLure said: “The NHS remains open for you during the industrial action and patients should continue to attend appointments unless they have been asked to reschedule.
“It is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and serious life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.
“As ever, please call 999 or come to A&E in an emergency, and use 111 online first if you need urgent but not life-threatening help.”
The NHS is also asking the public to play their part during the industrial action by looking after themselves, loved ones and checking in on vulnerable family members and neighbours, Dr McLure added.
Thanks to the incredible efforts of NHS staff, during the previous round of industrial action from 7 to 13 April, the NHS maintained 94.1% of elective activity, compared with the same period last year.