Junior doctors' strike gets under way as health bosses issue warnings

Junior doctors will start a strike this morning, which will continue until 7am next Tuesday. Consultants will then walkout for 48 hours from 7am on Thursday of next week to 7am on Saturday July 22.

Bosses at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust said the service will still be available for urgent and emergency care but are being asked to use services wisely.

Dr Ananta Dave, chief medical officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board said: “During the upcoming industrial action, it is important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases.

“But if it is non-life threatening, please think about which is the most appropriate service for your needs.

“If you need medical help or advice, you should contact NHS 111 in the first instance, and they will direct you to the most appropriate service for advice or treatment. This could include your local pharmacy, GP or a local NHS walk-in centre.

“We’d like to thank people for their patience and their ongoing support by using NHS services appropriately.”

Dr Mark Anderson, Chief Medical Officer at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, said: “The strike action planned for this week will bring substantial challenges to the local NHS, particularly hospital services.

“Patients who have a planned hospital operation, outpatient clinics or procedures should attend as usual unless they hear from their NHS Trust to advise otherwise.

“By ensuring you choose the most appropriate service, this will help NHS services to manage demand and ensure A&E departments can focus on treating people with serious and life-threatening conditions.“

Previous action by junior doctors saw between 21,000-24,000 staff off per day due to industrial action.

The most recent strike in June saw 106,000 hospital appointments disrupted over three days.