Important advice for patients ahead of strike action

Patients with hospital appointments scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday 10^th February, are being urged to attend as normal unless they have already been told otherwise.

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust will be implementing business continuity plans as junior doctors prepare for 24 hours of industrial action beginning at 8am tomorrow, and concluding at 8am on Thursday 11 February.  The Trust provides services at both Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham and Hull Royal Infirmary.

Strike action is being taken in response to a national dispute over proposed changes to junior doctors’ terms and conditions. Talks between the BMA, Department of Health and NHS Employers have been ongoing since November, but have so far failed to reach agreement.

Mr Kevin Phillips, Chief Medical Officer at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust says:

“We recognise the junior doctors’ right to take industrial action, so we will be implementing our business continuity plans in an attempt to minimise disruption for patients and ensure our services can continue to run safely.

“We will be providing extra support in those areas we expect to come under additional pressure, for example, there will be extra pharmacy support for our wards to help with prescribing issues and patient discharge arrangements.

“In a limited number of areas where it would not prove safe or possible to continue to see patients, regrettably there will be a small number of cancellations. All of those patients affected have now been contacted to advise them and make alternative arrangements.

“During the last day of strike action, some of our departments were reporting higher than usual volumes of patients simply failing to turn up to their appointments. We think this may have been linked to the anticipated disruption, but during the January strike, around 97% of all hospital activity still went ahead as planned.

“Patients with appointments or procedures scheduled for 10^th February can therefore help us by turning up as planned, unless they have been told otherwise.”

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust would like to apologise for any inconvenience, and thank patients and the public for their cooperation and understanding during the forthcoming period of industrial action.

Important information for patients:

• Whilst some disruption as a result of the strike action is inevitable, the vast majority of services and clinics at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital are expected to run as normal.
• Those patients who have appointments or surgical procedures scheduled to take place on Wednesday 10 February are asked to attend as planned, unless they have already been contacted by a member of hospital staff to cancel and reschedule.
• Patients with specific queries around their appointments are asked to contact the hospital using the details provided on their appointment letters.
• Picket lines are expected outside the hospitals, but they will not block access for patients or staff entering and leaving the sites.
• Emergency care services will continue to run as normal.
• In light of additional pressures anticipated on the day, members of the public are asked to familiarise themselves with alternative, non-hospital based sources of healthcare advice and treatment, including minor injury units, walk-in centres, GP surgeries and pharmacies. A full list of local community health services is available via hey.nhs.uk/alternatives