NHS industrial action

The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced a 96-hour walkout of junior doctors from 7am on Tuesday, April 11th until 7am on Saturday, April 15th.

They will be joined by members of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) and dental trainees who are members of the British Dental Association.

All NHS Trusts across Cheshire and Merseyside are set to be impacted – with significant service disruption highly likely.

Almost half of all hospital doctors in the country are junior doctors – more than 50,000. A junior doctor is any medical graduate who is in further training and not yet qualified to practice independently without supervision.

You will see junior doctors working in almost every part of a busy hospital, including A&E where they might diagnose you or put you under anaesthetic, write prescriptions, support the process of admission and discharge, maintain the flow of patients through the hospital and ensure beds are available for those who need them the most.

They are also an important part of the teams for planned inpatient appointments, as well as outpatient clinics. The breadth and depth of what they do across the NHS means their absence creates further challenges.

NHS pay is a matter for the Government and trade unions.

• Frequently Asked Questions about NHS industrial action

The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to mitigate risks to patient safety and manage any disruption, including industrial action, but inevitably there will be some service disruption on strike days, with information about the impact of industrial action published nationally here.

Emergency care and other critical services such as maternity departments will be open as usual and life-threatening calls responded to. People should always call 999 or attend accident and emergency services in the event of a life or limb threatening emergency.

Local services will keep their websites and social media accounts up-to-date with information about service disruption – so please check before you travel.

Irrespective of any industrial action, please do not hesitate to come forward to access care if you need it. We’re urging people to make NHS 111 Online their first port of call if they need urgent health advice on days of strike action.

NHS 111 Online can tell you:

• Where to get help for your symptoms
• How to find general health information and advice
• Where to get an emergency supply of your prescribed medicine
• How to get a repeat prescription