Local health services call for public support during resident doctors’ industrial action

The latest round of strikes by resident doctors, including many working at the Royal
United Hospital in Bath, Great Western Hospital in Swindon and Salisbury District
Hospital, is set to begin at 7am on Tuesday 7 April.

Scheduled to last until 6:59am on Monday 13 April, the industrial action is likely to
cause significant disruption to routine services, such as outpatient appointments,
pre-planned operations and day surgery cases.

During these strikes, all other NHS staff, including consultants and other specialist
doctors, will still be working and the focus of the NHS will be on ensuring as many
services as possible continue to operate safely.

To ensure teams can focus on people who are most unwell, the public are being
asked to choose wisely and to only visit hospital when there is a genuine need to do
so.

Dr Barry Coakley, GP and Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Bath and North East
Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said:
“We have well-established plans in place to ensure care remains available for those
who need it most during industrial action, with patient and staff safety our top priority.
“Some non-urgent appointments and procedures may be postponed and anyone
affected will be contacted directly. People with pre-planned appointments should
continue to attend unless told otherwise. “We’re asking local communities to help by choosing the most appropriate care option so hospital services can focus on those most in need. For many minor
conditions this will be self-care, NHS 111 online or a community pharmacy.
“Anyone who needs urgent or emergency care should continue to come forward
without delay.”

While all GP practices will be open as normal throughout the walkout, patients are
advised that many surgeries will be busier than normal, as colleagues focus their
attention on patients in need of same-day urgent care.

People looking for health and care support during the strikes are encouraged to visit
a community pharmacy, which can help with prescriptions and most minor illnesses
and injuries, or use NHS 111 online.

By visiting www.111.nhs.uk, people can get tailored health information direct to their
phone, tablet or laptop, with the service able to offer simple diagnoses and treatment
advice, as well as referrals to face-to-face care in the local area.

Anyone in genuine need of emergency care, such as those experiencing severe
chest pains, significant bleeding or loss of consciousness, should not put off visiting
the nearest hospital emergency department or calling 999.

Further information about all available local health and care services can be found
online at www.bswtogether.org.uk/yourhealth