Public urged to use NHS services wisely ahead of resident doctor industrial action
The British Medical Association has confirmed that resident doctors will take industrial action from 7am on Wednesday, 17 December until 7am on Sunday, 22 December.
The NHS in Sussex is working closely with partners to protect patient safety and maintain essential services during the period of industrial action. Emergency and life-saving care will continue to be available, and all other NHS staff including consultants, nurses and wider clinical teams will still be working.
However, during the strikes, there may be fewer doctors available than usual, meaning teams will need to prioritise the most urgent and critical care. Less urgent cases may experience longer waits, and some appointments may need to be rescheduled. If an appointment needs to be changed, patients will be contacted directly.
Anyone who has not been contacted should attend their appointment as planned.
To help ensure services remain available for those who need them most, the NHS in Sussex is asking the public to choose the right NHS service for their needs, use NHS 111 online or by phone as the first point of contact for non-life threatening health concerns, only use 999 or attend A&E for serious or life threatening emergencies, and to avoid visiting hospitals if they have flu or COVID 19 symptoms unless it is an emergency.
GP practices will continue to be open during the period of industrial action. Some resident doctors who train in GP practices known as GP registrars may take strike action, but practices will remain operational. Patients should continue to attend GP and dental appointments unless told otherwise.
