Junior doctor strikes (24 February - 28 February)
The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced that junior doctors will be taking strike action from Saturday 24 February until Wednesday 28 February.
The strike action will significantly impact services at our two hospitals – University Hospital Lewisham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Throughout the strike period, patient safety will remain our number one priority, so we will be adjusting our services, and the way we run them, to ensure the impact on quality of care is minimised. There is a set of Frequently Asked Questions on this strike action at the bottom of this page.
Patient appointments booked to take place in the home or in one of our health centres or community sites will go ahead as planned. Patients should attend their appointments as usual.
Our emergency, urgent care and maternity services will not be affected by strike action and will be available for patients who need them. In a life-threatening emergency, please call 999 or come to A&E without delay.
Outpatients should assume that scheduled outpatient appointments will go ahead as planned. However, some appointments will be affected by the strike action. If this is the case, patients will hear from us directly by letter, telephone or text message if we need to cancel or reschedule their outpatient appointment.
If your appointment is cancelled, here’s what will happen:
- Your appointment will not take place as planned and you should not travel to your appointment. Our teams will be dealing with emergency patients and prioritising those that need the most urgent help and we will not be able to see you
- We will be in touch with you directly to confirm your new appointment either by letter or telephone as soon as possible
- If you haven't heard from us by Monday 18 March 2024 with a new date, please contact the number or email address on your original appointment letter.
We’re really sorry to have to cancel any appointments. We know it’s frustrating and we have done all we can to avoid cancellations, but we also must maintain a safe environment for patients who need urgent and emergency care.
Help us to help you
Planning ahead
If you are a patient, or carer for a vulnerable patient, and you are able to plan ahead by arranging a GP or support appointment during the strike period, it will help us enormously if you could do so. Also, to avoid delays in getting your medicines or the risk of running out of medicines during strikes, please order prescriptions in good time.
Emergency care
Life-threatening: In a life-threatening emergency, please call 999 or come to A&E without delay. Our teams will be here to care for you. If you are able to, please come on your own so that our A&Es can accommodate as many patients as possible.
Non-life-threatening: If you, or a member of your family, needs non-life-threatening unexpected support during the strike period, please call 111 to find out where to get the right care.
If you do choose to come to A&E for a non-life-threatening reason, you will experience a longer than usual wait time and you may be redirected to a different service. Our A&Es are typically very busy environments and we are expecting to see even more patients during the strike period. Our teams will be working hard but will prioritise patients who need care most urgently.
If your emergency is not life-threatening, you will be seen, but it will take us longer to get to you, so please do consider if there are other options before calling 999 or travelling to A&E.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
>> What is happening?
Trade unions representing some NHS staff are in dispute with the Government over the 2022/23 pay award. A number of the unions have balloted their NHS members to take part in industrial action. As a result members of the following unions are striking on the dates listed above.
>> What if I need urgent or emergency care?
Anyone who needs urgent care should use NHS111 online to be assessed and directed to the right care for them. If you do not have internet access then the 111 helpline is available. When someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk, you should seek emergency care in the normal way, by calling 999.
>> If staff are out on strike what does it mean for emergency care?
In advance of strike action, we work with unions to agree which members of staff can continue to work to ensure safe levels of care. These agreements are called derogations and often mean that some health union members will continue their work in line with an agreement between employers and unions. Where derogations have not been agreed we may have to move staff from other departments within a hospital to ensure we can continue to provide emergency care. Unfortunately, this could mean disruption to some routine appointments and procedures.
>> What will this mean for appointments?
During strike action we will prioritise emergency treatment and patients seeking urgent treatment will be seen. Unfortunately, this means we may have to prioritise emergency care over some routine appointments and procedures. Everyone who has an appointment should attend as planned, unless we have contacted you to reschedule. If we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as normal.
>> Will emergency care be affected on strike days?
Emergency care will continue to be available across all parts of the country. It is really important that in emergency and life-threatening cases - when someone is seriously ill or their life is at risk patients continue to come forward as normal.
>> How will I find out if my appointment is rescheduled?
The NHS will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action. This is likely to be a text, phone call or a letter and you should be offered an alternative date for your appointment. If we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as planned.
>> If my appointment is rescheduled, will I be put back to the bottom of the waiting list?
Any appointments that need to be rescheduled will be done so as a priority.
>> Should I cancel my appointment on the day of strikes?
No, if we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as planned.
>> Is there anything I should do now?
To avoid delays in getting your medicines or the risk of running out of medicines during strikes please order prescriptions in good time.
>> I have a loved one who will be a hospital inpatient on strike day – how will their care be affected?
All hospital inpatients will be informed of how their care will be impacted on a ward-by-ward basis by the staff involved in delivering their care.
>> What should I do if I need an ambulance?
Patients should only call 999 if seriously ill or injured, and there is risk to life. Ambulances will be dispatched where clinically appropriate.
For all other health care needs support will be available through NHS111 online (if you do not have internet access then 111 helpline is available) or at your local GP or pharmacy.
>> Will GP services be affected on strike days?
GP services are not impacted by ambulance or nursing strikes. However, junior doctors strikes may impact some appointments. Please continue to attend your GP appointments, unless you are contacted and told otherwise.
>> Will dentists be impacted?
The British Dental Association has advised that some of their members who work in hospitals on trainee contracts will take action on the same days as junior doctors. However the vast majority of dentists will continue to work. Please continue to attend any dental appointments unless you are contacted and told otherwise.
>> What is considered an emergency?
Patients should only call 999 if seriously ill or injured, and there is risk to life. Ambulances will be dispatched where clinically appropriate.