The NHS in the South East is asking patients to seek emergency care if they need to during industrial action and take simple steps to help ensure care is available to patients who need it most.

This includes using services wisely by going to NHS 111 online as the first port of call for health needs and continuing to call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

General practice, community pharmacies, and dentistry are not impacted by strike action and the public should continue to access these services as needed on strike days.

Ambulance services will prioritise the most clinically urgent cases and on strike days, if it is not life-threatening, people may have to wait longer than usual for an ambulance. Where safe and appropriate, some may be asked to make their own way to hospital – although it is important that they get medical advice from 111 or 999 before doing so.

The NHS will contact anyone whose appointment has to be rescheduled due to strike action. If the NHS has not been in contacted, it is important that people continue to attend appointments as planned.

Tomorrow ambulance workers will go on strike, with nurses also taking industrial action next Wednesday and Thursday.

In all cases, priority will be given to those patients with the most clinically urgent health needs.

NHS South East Medical Director, Dr Vaughan Lewis, said: “The message from the NHS to patients is clear – if you need emergency care, please come forward.

“This means continuing to call 999 for life threatening emergencies as well as using 111 online for other health needs where you will receive clinical advice on the best next steps to take.

“NHS staff have worked hard to minimise disruption but it is inevitable there will be an impact on services.”

The NHS is already facing record demand on urgent and emergency care services – October and November were the busiest on record for A&E attendances and the most serious ambulance callouts.

The NHS has been preparing extensively for industrial action and for winter, with plans already in place to manage additional demand including 24/7 control centres, additional bed capacity, more mental health support for ambulance services and more community falls services.

Dr Fionna Moore, Medical Director for South East Coast Ambulance Service, encourages the public to use their services appropriately.

She said: “The public can continue to support us by using our services wisely. We will be working hard to respond to patients and prioritising our response to those who are most seriously ill and injured. Anyone calling 999 who isn’t facing a life-threatening emergency is likely to wait longer for a response or be directed to alternative care.”

South Centre Ambulance Service also asks the public to use the appropriate health service for the medical attention they need ahead of some of their staff striking tomorrow.

Mark Ainsworth, Director of Operations at South Central Ambulance Service, said: “Within SCAS it is only the GMB who will be taking part in industrial action tomorrow and there are just over 200 GMB members out of around 4,500 staff across all our services. As a result the impact will mainly be on our patient transport service, but there may be some action in our 999 services. We are working closely with our local and regional GMB union representatives and staff to minimise as far as possible, the impact of such action on our patients.

“If you need help and it is not an emergency please use 111 online (111.nhs.uk) or your local GP. Alternatively, pharmacists can advise on minor illnesses, injuries and managing symptoms.”

Guidance issued ahead of the last industrial action by ambulance services asked local systems to discharge patients who are medically fit and asked that local areas only cancel elective procedures as a last resort.

The NHS has also launched the latest phase of a TV campaign encouraging the public to use NHS 111 online.

After entering answers about health needs online, the service makes an assessment and directs you to the best place for your care – this can include a consultation with a pharmacist, a call back from a nurse, or visiting a same day urgent treatment centre or A&E.

Figures show more than 6.5 million people used the NHS 111 online service in the last 12 months, with an average of 20,000 users being directed to the right support every day according to the latest data.

NHS England and local NHS areas have plans in place to ensure life-saving care continues and to minimise disruption to patient care.

Regional and national teams will support local areas needing any further assistance on strike days to help local areas coordinate responses.

In November NHS England issued guidance to local NHS employers on what derogations they should seek from local union representatives to ensure certain vital services such as chemotherapy continue.