NHS warns five-day junior doctors strike will lead to significant disruption

Residents in Greater Manchester are being urged to use NHS 111 Online for all non-emergency healthcare needs during the next strike action in the NHS.

This tenth round of action will see hospital-based junior doctors and trainee GPs strike over five days from 7am, Saturday 24 February to 11.59pm, Wednesday 28 February. 

The strike is set to impact most routine care as the NHS prioritises urgent and emergency services.

By the end of this action, hospital doctors will have taken 44 days or 1,056 hours of industrial action, equating to around 12% of the year.

Mr Dilraj Sandher, executive medical director for Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, on behalf of NHS acute medical directors in Greater Manchester, said: “Patients with appointments at hospitals and GP practices are asked to attend as planned unless they are told otherwise.

“If you have not been contacted, please attend your appointment as planned. For urgent health advice on days of strike action, please contact NHS 111 online immediately. You will be assessed and directed to the most appropriate service to use.

“If you have regular medication, remember to order your repeat prescription in time so you don’t run out. Your GP practice will be open as normal but may be busier than usual. If there’s an immediate risk of danger to life, you should always call 999.”

The previous round of industrial action by junior doctors in January this year saw over 113,000 hospital appointments disrupted and at least 23,000 staff absent day on weekdays.  In total strikes have now impacted over 1.3 million hospital appointments across the NHS.

Junior doctors make up around half of all doctors in the NHS and have anywhere up to eight years' experience working as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to three years in general practice.

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Where to get help from? Get to know where to go:

NHS 111:

NHS Greater Manchester is urging members of the public to use NHS 111 Online for all non-emergency healthcare needs, in the first instance, unless the issue concerns a child under five years, when they should call 111. Deaf people or people with hearing loss can dial 18001 111 on a textphone or use the Relay UK app (which can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store or Google Play Store).

NHS 111 Online can help if:

• You need help but don’t know who to call,
• How to find general health information and advice
• You are ill and need to be told what to do next
• How to get an emergency supply of your prescribed medicine.

Pharmacy:

Lots of illnesses can also be managed safely at home, or with a trip to a local pharmacist. There are pharmacies open late in to the night and very early in the morning. Find your nearest one here: Find a pharmacy - NHS (www.nhs.uk).

Urgent dental care:

The Greater Manchester Urgent Dental Care Service is available from 8am to 10pm every day including weekends for severe dental pain and infection. People can call 0333 332 3800 to be assessed by a healthcare professional, who can provide self-care advice or book a face-to-face appointment, if needed.

Urgent eye care:

Free urgent eyecare is available across all 10 areas of Greater Manchester. If you have a sudden and urgent problem with your eyes, you can contact a local practice to get an appointment: NHS Greater Manchester Community Urgent Eye Care Service (CUES) - Primary Eyecare Services.

Mental health:

For free urgent mental health support, people can contact one of these 24/7 helplines – they’re available to anyone of any age:

• Bolton, Manchester, Salford, Trafford, and Wigan 0800 953 0285 (freephone).
• Bury, Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale, Oldham, Stockport, and Tameside 0800 014 9995 (freephone).

If there’s an immediate risk of danger to life, you should ring 999.

Local NHS services will be using their websites and social media channels to provide up to date information to the public about local service disruption – so people are urged to check before travelling.