NHS Urges Patients to Attend Appointments Amid Resident Doctors Strike

Strategic Insights -

The NHS in the South West is advising the public to continue attending scheduled appointments, unless contacted to reschedule, as resident doctors prepare for their twelfth round of industrial action since March 2023. This latest strike, starting on July 30, is expected to cause significant disruption to NHS services, with 49 days of disruption already recorded since the strikes began. Despite the challenges, hospitals and local teams are working to minimize disruption to patient care and ensure life-saving treatment continues.

Key Takeaways:

  • The NHS is urging patients to attend scheduled appointments, unless contacted to reschedule, during the resident doctors' strike on July 30.
  • This is the twelfth round of industrial action by resident doctors since March 2023, resulting in 49 days of disruption to NHS services.
  • Hospitals and local teams have prepared plans to minimize disruption to patient care and ensure life-saving treatment continues.
  • Routine operations will continue to the fullest extent possible, with only exceptional circumstances necessitating rescheduling.
  • Primary and urgent and emergency care services will be available for those who need them, with 111 online serving as the first port of call for urgent but non-life-threatening issues.
  • Patients should continue to use 999 or A&E for emergency medical care.

Statistics:

  • 49 days of disruption to NHS services since the strikes began.
  • 1,486,258 hospital appointments rescheduled across the NHS since the strikes began in 2022.
  • 61,989 inpatient and outpatient appointments rescheduled during the last round of national industrial action at the end of June last year.
  • 23,001 staff absent from work due to strike at its peak during the last round of national industrial action.
  • Resident doctors make up around half of all doctors in the NHS and have up to eight years' experience working as a hospital doctor.

Sources:

  • The NHS in the South West is advising patients to continue attending appointments amid resident doctors strike.
  • NHS England has asked hospital chief executives to keep routine operations going to the fullest extent possible during the strike.
  • 111 online will serve as the first port of call for urgent but non-life-threatening issues during the strike.