Public urged to continue seeking NHS care during doctors' strike

People are being urged to keep coming forward for NHS care during a five-day strike by resident doctors.

Hospitals and local teams have been preparing before the strike, which begins at 7am on Friday, NHS England said. There are plans in place to "minimise disruption to patient care and ensure life-saving care continues," it added.

Thousands of resident doctors are expected to join the strike, which is the 12th since March 2023. The new NHS England boss, Sir Jim Mackey, has urged hospital leaders to keep routine operations and appointments going if possible and to only cancel if there is a risk to patient safety.

However, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned NHS England's plan to carry on with business as usual poses a risk to patients. GP surgeries will remain open as usual during the strike and urgent care and A&E will continue to be available to those who need them, NHS England said.

It urged the public to use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent but not life-threatening issues. 'Some appointments' won't go ahead Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England national medical director, said: "There is no doubt this industrial action will take a toll on patients and NHS staff, and it is disappointing it is going ahead.

"While it will mean some appointments won't be able to go ahead as planned, we are doing all we can to limit this, and patients should continue to use NHS services in the usual way. "The public should dial 999 in an emergency, and otherwise use 111 online, your local pharmacist or GP, and patients should attend NHS appointments unless told otherwise." Almost 1.5 million appointments have been rescheduled as a result of industrial action since the end of 2022.

Last June, strikes by resident doctors led to 61,989 inpatient and outpatient appointments being rescheduled. Earlier this week the BMA said talks with the government intended to avert the strike had collapsed over the core issue of pay..