As junior doctors prepare to strike, south west Londoners are being reminded that the NHS is still there for them if they need it.
Industrial action is set to take place from 7am on Saturday 24 February to the end of Wednesday 28 February. The planned strike is expected to cause significant disruption for the NHS.
South west London’s Chief Medical Officer Dr John Byrne has once 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. Last month it was revealed that nearly 140,000 more GP appointments a month were being delivered for south west Londoners compared to the same month before the pandemic.
Pharmacies continue to be open in south west London during strike action. Only a few weeks ago it was announced that nationally pharmacies will provide treatment for seven common conditions without needing to see a GP.
Dr Byrne said: “The NHS remains very busy and this planned strike will create significant challenges for the health service.
“We know we’ve asked the public to help their local NHS during a number of strikes now, but we don’t want this message to lose its importance.
“So, 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.”
These strikes follow a very busy week for us and are going to have a significant impact on our hospitals.
Dr Richard Jennings, Group Chief Medical Officer for St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospital and Health Group
Dr Richard Jennings, Group Chief Medical Officer for St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospital and Health Group, said: “These strikes follow a very busy week for us and are going to have a significant impact on our hospitals. Monday was one of our busiest days this winter, and more than 1,000 people came to our emergency departments that day.
“When doctors go on strike we have no choice but to reschedule some operations so we can prioritise our sickest and most seriously ill patients.
“We hope people in south west London will take advantage of the increasing number of GP appointments available if they are not critically unwell. Anyone who comes to one of our emergency departments when it’s not an emergency will wait longer to be seen.”
Our staff are continuing to work hard to minimise disruption to care and treatment during the days of industrial action, but this will be challenging.
Dr William Oldfield, Chief Medical Officer at Kingston Hospital
Dr William Oldfield, Chief Medical Officer at Kingston Hospital, said: “We apologise to our patients for the disruption that we are expecting and thank them for their understanding. Our staff are continuing to work hard to minimise disruption to care and treatment during the days of industrial action, but this will be challenging.
“We are asking people to help us manage demand by considering different services for medical help or advice, such as their GP or local pharmacist. Waiting times in the Emergency Department will be longer than usual during the days of strike action and we will be prioritising patients based on the urgency of their clinical need.
“If we feel you could be seen elsewhere, we may redirect you. Our staff may also be more stretched than usual and so we are asking everyone to remain kind and compassionate.”
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.