Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which manages Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, has issued important guidance for patients ahead of the upcoming junior doctors' strike. The industrial action, organised by the British Medical Association (BMA), is scheduled to run for five consecutive days, from 7am on Thursday, 27 June, until 7am on Tuesday, 2 July. This period of strike action is expected to significantly impact NHS services across England.
During the strike, the Trust has stated that its primary focus will be on maintaining urgent and emergency care services. This means that Accident & Emergency departments will remain open for serious and life-threatening conditions. However, patients with less urgent needs are strongly encouraged to seek alternative care pathways to help manage demand and ensure those most in need receive prompt attention.
Patients with pre-booked appointments or procedures during the strike period are advised that these may be subject to cancellation or rescheduling. The Trust has committed to contacting affected individuals directly if their appointment needs to be changed. If patients do not hear from the hospital, they should assume their appointment is going ahead as planned. It is crucial for patients not to call the hospital to check on appointments unless absolutely necessary, to keep phone lines clear for urgent enquiries.
For non-urgent health concerns, the public is being directed to utilise NHS 111 online as the first point of contact. This service can provide advice, direct patients to the most appropriate service, or arrange a call-back from a healthcare professional. Local GP practices and pharmacies will continue to operate as normal and can offer support for a range of common illnesses and minor injuries. The NHS website also provides comprehensive health information and advice.
The BMA has previously stated that junior doctors are seeking a full pay restoration to reverse what they describe as more than a decade of real-terms pay cuts. This ongoing dispute has led to multiple periods of industrial action over the past year, causing significant disruption to patient care across the country. The NHS has had to cancel or reschedule millions of appointments and procedures due to these strikes, placing additional strain on an already stretched healthcare system.
NHS England data shows that previous junior doctor strikes have resulted in a substantial number of cancelled appointments. For instance, a five-day strike in December 2023 led to over 113,000 inpatient and outpatient appointments being postponed. The cumulative impact of these strikes since December 2022 has surpassed 1.4 million cancelled appointments. The upcoming strike is anticipated to further exacerbate these figures.