Junior Doctor Industrial Action

UHNM is to face further strike disruption from Saturday 24 February amid continued high demand for services.

Strike action by junior doctors will run from 7am on Saturday to midnight on Wednesday (28 February) and is set to impact some routine care at Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital, Stafford while urgent and emergency services are prioritised.

UHNM has declared critical incident twice during February due to the extreme demand on its services and during industrial action the public are advised to continue to use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent but not life-threatening issues so that they can be directed to the best place for their needs. Patients who need medical care should continue to use 999 or come forward to A&E as normal.

UHNM Medical Director Dr Matthew Lewis said: “Alongside dealing with ongoing winter pressures, staff have worked hard to mitigate the impact of strike action due to run from Saturday to Wednesday. We have put in place measures to maintain care for those who need it urgently and rescheduled some planned appointments which are now unable to go ahead.”

He added: “It remains vital that people who need care come forward and get it in the usual way – using 999 and A&E in life-threatening emergencies and 111 for everything else.”

Patients who haven’t been contacted to say their appointment has been postponed should attend as normal.