Strike action by members of the British Medical Association (BMA) will affect services across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight next week.
Junior doctor members of the BMA are currently due to take part in strike action for a continuous 72 hours, from 7am on Monday 13 March to 7am on Thursday 16 March, in an ongoing dispute between unions and the Government over pay. This will be the first time that doctors have taken strike action in this pay dispute.
We are expecting BMA members employed as junior doctors in the following local organisations to participate in the planned strike action:
- Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
- Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Solent NHS Trust
- Isle of Wight NHS Trust
We continue to work with partners across the health and care system in Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and we are urging residents to use health services appropriately to ensure they receive the right care for their needs in as timely a way as possible. Patient safety remains our absolute priority.
Dr Lara Alloway, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for acute care for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board said:
“We are working closely with our partners across the county to plan, prepare and mitigate the potential impact on patients, communities and staff to ensure that services continue to run as smoothly as possible.
“Patient care remains our priority and we are working hard to ensure that we continue to deliver the best level of care possible. If you have an appointment during the industrial action you should continue to attend as planned unless you are contacted to reschedule.
“No one should put off seeking urgent care in an emergency during this period, however we are urging people to only attend our emergency departments if it is an emergency situation. Details of other services including urgent treatment centres that available to you are available on the ICB website.”
Patients will continue to be prioritised according to clinical need, and any patients who have an appointment during the industrial action should continue to attend as planned unless they are contacted to reschedule.
Please help us keep Emergency Departments free for those who need them most. If you have an urgent medical problem and you are not sure what to do, visit 111 online at 111.nhs.uk.