Advice to patients as Junior Doctor strike begins in Peterborough

The North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust has issued advice to patients after The British Medical Association confirmed Junior Doctors will be taking a three-day strike action.

The period of industrial action started at 7am Wednesday (December 20) and will run ran for 72-hours until 7am on Saturday (December 23).

The Industrial Action is in response to the ongoing pay dispute and is a matter that remains between the unions and the government.

The trust stated: “This will cause disruption to some services and some appointments will unfortunately have to be rearranged.

"We are contacting all patients directly if their appointment is affected by this next round of strike action.

"If you have not been contacted then please attend your appointment as planned.

"Our priorities remain to provide safe care for patients who are receiving inpatient care in our hospitals and those who need urgent and emergency medical care.

"We are working hard to prioritise resources to protect emergency treatment, critical care, neonatal care, maternity, and trauma, and ensure we prioritise patients who have waited the longest for elective care and cancer surgery.

"We will only reschedule appointments and procedures where necessary and will rebook immediately, where possible.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding during these times. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused.”

The emergency department at Peterborough City Hospital will remain open for medical emergencies or for anyone requiring urgent medical attention.

Those requiring urgent medical help for something that isn’t life threatening or a serious injury have been asked to contact NHS 111 or NHS 111 Online.

A trust spokesperson added: “During the period of action we need to rearrange some appointments to ensure we have safe levels of staffing on our wards, emergency departments and other critical areas.

"Patients with an appointment planned during the period of action will be contacted directly if their appointment needs to be rescheduled.

"We appreciate how disappointing this will be for anyone waiting for treatment or investigations and we are sorry to postpone arrangements. However, we will rearrange any cancelled appointments as soon as possible.

"Patients who are not contacted in advance should attend their appointment as planned.”