Peterborough patients warned of impact of junior doctor strike at City Hospital

Peterborough patients are being warned of the impact of junior doctors strikes at the City Hospital next week.

Junior doctors are set to strike from Tuesday, April 11 until Saturday, April 15.

While services will remain open during the strike period, visitors to the hospital could face delays.

A spokesperson for the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford & Rutland hospitals, said: “We are expecting some of our services to be impacted by the proposed industrial action by Junior Doctors taking place from 7am on Tuesday 11 April to 7am on Saturday 15 April 2023.

“Our main priorities are to provide safe care for patients who are receiving inpatient care in our hospitals and those who need urgent and emergency care services.

“Our emergency services will remain open, but we ask that you contact NHS 111 or NHS 111 Online before coming to hospital, so that you can be directed to the most appropriate place for your care or treatment.

“During strike action, we will prioritise resources to protect emergency treatment - life and limb-threatening, critical care, neonatal care and trauma.”

“During the period of action we are reducing the number of appointments we have planned 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 this means their appointment now 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.”

Junior doctors are the latest workers to take strike action. Peterborough Passport Office workers were on the picket line on Monday morning as they started five weeks of strike, while teachers have also announced they will be taking strike action later in the year.