Patient safety is our number one priority, so we will be adjusting our services and the way we staff them to ensure our quality of care is not compromised.
We will continue to provide urgent and emergency care and maternity care to people who need it. However, those in less urgent need of care may experience longer waiting times than normal.
Prioritising patients most in need
Some appointments, including surgeries, may need to be postponed or rearranged. Priority will be given to those patients with the most pressing health needs.
If there are changes to an appointment that you have arranged at our hospitals during the strike period, we will contact you. If you do not hear from us, please attend your appointment as normal.
During the strike period, consultants will cover the usual duties of our junior doctors to keep patients in our hospitals safe. Other clinical staff including nurses, midwives and allied health professionals will provide further clinical support to ensure the safety of our patients.
We are also working closely with partners across north east London to secure enhanced community support so patients don’t have to stay in hospital unnecessarily.
What is a junior doctor?
Junior doctors make up half of the medical workforce at our trust and include doctors ranging from those who have recently finished medical school, up to doctors with 10 years' experience.
Junior doctors help our hospitals run smoothly by leading on essential parts of your care. Their roles range from ordering tests or x-rays and referring patients to other medical teams, to discharging patients from hospital and reviewing sick or deteriorating patients, but there's a lot more to the job than that.
Here’s how you can help
There are a number of ways you can help us care for people who need it most.
- If you’re caring for vulnerable people, such as the elderly, children and people with long-term conditions, get in touch with your GP if you have concerns about accessing medical care
- Remember there are other healthcare options available instead of calling 999. You can visit your pharmacist or GP, call or visit NHS 111.
In the event that industrial action is called off, we will make every effort to reinstate any appointments that have been cancelled as soon as possible.
On behalf of staff and patients, we want the industrial disputes resolved as soon as possible but pay in the NHS is a matter for the Government and trade unions.
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Have a question about the strikes and how it might affect you? Read our FAQs
