As junior doctors prepare to strike for 120 hours, south west Londoners are being reminded that the NHS is still there for them if they need it.
The British Medical Association announced last month that junior doctors plan to take strike action starting at 7am on Thursday 27 June 2024 and ending at 7am on Tuesday 2 July 2024.
South west London’s Chief Medical Officer Dr John Byrne has again urged people to use health services wisely by continuing to call 999 in a life-threatening emergency and going to NHS 111 online for all non-urgent health needs.
If your health issue is non-life threatening, please think about the right service for your needs. If you need medical help or advice, you should go to 111.nhs.uk and you will be directed to the most appropriate service, which could include your local pharmacy or GP.
South west London’s Chief Medical Officer Dr John Byrne
He also reminded south west Londoners that a range of local services will continue to be available to meet people’s healthcare needs during the industrial action.
GPs will be largely unaffected by the strikes so patients can still get appointments and health advice at their practice.
Pharmacies continue to be open in south west London during strike action.
Dr Byrne said: “The NHS remains very busy and this planned strike will create significant challenges for the health service.
“Please look after yourselves, check on vulnerable friends and relatives and if you do need us, think about the most appropriate service to use.
“During strike action, emergency care will be prioritised. So it is important that people know that if they need urgent medical care to continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases.
“However, if your health issue is non-life threatening, please think about the right service for your needs. If you need medical help or advice, you should go to 111.nhs.uk and you will be directed to the most appropriate service, which could include your local pharmacy or GP.
“While NHS staff have worked incredibly hard to keep key services running, the reality is that despite their efforts to minimise the disruption – and the worries that come with that – patients may unfortunately face postponements to their treatment.
“Appointments will only be rescheduled where necessary and the NHS will contact you if this is the case. If you miss an appointment, please re-book and come forward for the care you need.”
The free NHS app can be used to order repeat prescriptions and to choose a pharmacy for them to be delivered to.
The app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play, can be accessed by anyone aged 13 and over registered with an NHS GP surgery. People can also check symptoms or treatments and get advice on what to do next, among many other things.