Junior doctors strike action
With junior doctors taking industrial action, patients face cancelled appointments or delayed operations nationally.
As with previous junior doctors' strikes, consultants and other staff will provide cover in accident and emergency (A&E) to treat emergency patients, but at the expense of many cancelled outpatient appointments and operations.
With the hot weather sweeping across the country, the NHS is urging the public to use services as they normally would if they need them – with NHS 111 services available for urgent needs, and 999 for emergencies.
The strikes will take place from 7am, Thursday 27 June 2024 until 7am Tuesday 2 July 2024. It is set to affect most routine care as the NHS prioritises urgent and emergency care, with consultants stepping in to cover for junior doctors, who make up 50% of the medical workforce.
The NHS is working hard to prioritise resources to protect emergency treatment, critical care, neonatal care, maternity, and trauma, and ensure that they prioritise patients who have waited the longest for elective care and cancer surgery.
In the event of a major incident, doctors would return to work, but otherwise, any individual hospital requests for junior doctors to go in, on patient safety grounds, would have to be agreed nationally by the British Medical Association.
Information for patients, families and loved ones
NHS England told us that, unless patients hear that appointments have been cancelled, patients should still attend hospital clinics and not hesitate to contact the NHS for urgent and life-threatening problems.
GP practices will continue to be open during the junior doctors strike. Please continue to attend your GP and dental appointments, unless you are contacted and told otherwise.
The NHS is also asking the public to play their part by taking simple steps during industrial action to look after themselves, loved ones and checking in on vulnerable family members and neighbours.
Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and serious life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.
Read NHS England's information for the public on the strikes
Getting help
Anyone unsure of whether they need hospital treatment to use tools such as NHS 111 online before attending hospital.
NHS 111 online can direct you to the best place to get help if you cannot contact your GP during the day, or when your GP is closed (out-of-hours).
Use NHS online https://111.nhs.uk/
Download the NHS app
Phone 111
Visit the NHS website - When to use NHS 111
If you have a hearing problem
Text relay
Call 18001 111 using the Relay UK app or a textphone. This is available 24 hours a day.
If you need help in another language
British sign language (BSL)
Other languages
Call 111 and ask for an interpreter.
“GP practices will continue to be open during the junior doctors’ strike, so please continue to attend your appointment unless you are contacted and told otherwise. For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can visit the NHS UK website.”
