Junior doctors that are members of the British Medical Association (BMA) are planning to take industrial action between 8 am on Wednesday 9th March 2016 and 8am on Friday 11th March 2016.

Our priority is to protect the safety and welfare of our patients and so we have been working with the BMA and our junior doctors to ensure that there are robust plans in place to provide cover for our emergency and cancer services during the industrial action, whilst seeking to minimise disruption across our remaining services.

Some of our planned appointments and operations will have needed to be rearranged for another date, however you will have been contacted individually if your appointment/operation needed to be re-scheduled.

If you need medical care during the course of the industrial action please be advised that:

• Patients in need of urgent and emergency care will continue to receive the treatment they need, when they need it. However, due to increased pressures on the NHS over this period, those in less urgent need of care may experience longer waiting times than normal. In all cases priority will be given to those patients with the most pressing health needs.
• We would like to remind you of other healthcare options available for less urgent problems instead of calling 999 or visiting our emergency department – such as visiting your pharmacist or GP, calling NHS 111 or using NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk).       If you are on regular medication or have a long-term medical condition. If you are feeling unwell, please do not wait – take advice from your GP or pharmacist, or contact NHS 111 e.g. if you have regular medication – please make sure you have collected your prescription from the GP, have been to the pharmacist to collect it and have it to hand.