Hospital facing significant operational pressures

Our hospital is facing significant operational pressures. This is due to the impact of industrial action and increased numbers of patients coming to the hospital.

We need people to support us to ensure we can provide the best care for people when they are getting urgent and emergency care. We continue to remain at the highest level of escalation around operational performance.

We are working hard to ensure adequate staffing through the entirety of urgent care pathways, urgent elective cases, and other critical services. However, the disruption to staffing is still causing significant reduction in elective activity and this may mean some appointments and procedures may need to be rescheduled.

We will only reschedule appointments and procedures where necessary and will rebook immediately, where possible. 

The whole NHS is working closely with unions to discuss any patient safety concerns and ensure safe staffing for emergency care continues to be available.

Key points to note:

• If we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as planned. The NHS will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action.

• The NHS is asking patients to choose services appropriately during industrial action and take simple steps to help ensure care is available to patients who need it most. This includes using 111 online as the first port of call for health needs, and only using 999 if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to ED, you can visit the NHS UK website.

• 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.