Consultant and Junior doctors’ industrial action – Tuesday 19 September to Saturday 23 September

People in Derby and Derbyshire are being urged to use NHS services wisely next week as we head into another period of industrial action involving consultant (senior) doctors and junior doctors.

The British Medical Association (BMA) is taking strike action involving consultants and junior doctors at several NHS Trusts across England, including Trusts serving NHS Derby and Derbyshire. The industrial action will span across a number of days next week, as follows:

Consultants: from 7am Tuesday 19 September to 7am Thursday 21 September

Junior doctors: from 7am Wednesday 20 September to 7am Saturday 23 September

For the first time, consultants and junior doctors will be taking strike action together on Wednesday 20 September. During this time, consultants and junior doctors will have the opportunity and personal choice to go on strike for all or some of the time.

The action is likely to have a severe impact on services, with much routine or planned care postponed.

Our key messages to people in Derby and Derbyshire are:

  • Please use health services wisely during industrial action and take simple steps to help ensure care is available to those who need it most. Please use 111 online as the first port of call for health needs and only using 999 if it is a life-threatening emergency.
  • It is important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk. A&E, ambulance and 999 services in Derby and Derbyshire will remain available throughout the period.
  • Similarly, people in mental health crisis should continue to seek support as normal. Mental health crisis services will be running throughout the period, as will the Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline and Support Service (0800 028 0077). Please be patient when calling the helpline as the helpline team are likely to receive a large number of calls. Find sources of support when someone is in crisis on the emotional health and wellbeing website and the Derbyshire County Council website.
  • The NHS will contact you if an appointment needs to be rescheduled due to industrial action. If your appointment needs to be rearranged, NHS staff may try to call you from a withheld number. We fully understand that it may be very frustrating if your appointment needs to be rescheduled, but we ask you please show courtesy to the staff who are calling to help you. If you have not been contacted, please attend your appointment as planned.
  • GP services are impacted by this strike action but please continue to attend your GP appointments, unless you are contacted and told otherwise.

Latest updates

For the most up-to-date information, please view the following social media accounts:

Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
https://twitter.com/royalhospital

Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust
https://twitter.com/DCHStrust

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
https://twitter.com/derbyshcft

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
https://twitter.com/UHDBTrust