Junior doctors at NCIC will participate in a national strike for 72 hours starting at 7am on Wednesday until 7am on Saturday (17th June).
If we have not contacted you via letter or phone call, please attend your appointment as planned. You will be contacted if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to the industrial action. We appreciate this will be frustrating, however it is essential to allow us to focus on emergency care. All appointments will be rearranged as a priority.
Our priority is to keep our patients safe, therefore we putting extensive plans in place to minimise the impact of the action and to keep as many services running as possible.
Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is very important that anyone who needs urgent medical care continues to come forward, especially in emergency and life-threatening situations.
Dr Adrian Clements, Executive Medical Director at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, urged people to take care especially if they are doing DIY, having barbecues and swimming. He said: “If people are unwell then of course we are here to help, but we are also asking everyone to make sure they are well prepared by having a well-stocked medicine cabinet to treat any unexpected minor health concerns at home and by thinking carefully about the right NHS service for them if they do require medical help.
“One of the best things people can do is keep some basic medicines at home such as paracetamol, plasters, indigestion remedy and anti-diarrhoea medicine - you can ask your local pharmacist for advice on any other medicines you might need.
"Whether you’re working in the garden, tackling some DIY or taking part in outdoor activities please remember to do it safely – and this also includes taking care when drinking alcohol.
"Unfortunately, we often see many people turn up at A&E and emergency services with illness, injury, accidents because safety steps haven’t been taken and violence related incidents due to drinking too much. While we understand people want to enjoy themselves, we know they don’t want to spend their valuable time in A&E or hospital because they’ve over done it!”
If you feel you need to speak to someone about your symptoms then you can talk to your local pharmacist, they are qualified health professionals who can help you understand the support you need. Pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals and a good source for medical advice – they have a private room for consultations and patients do not require appointments.
To help keep pressure off Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments patients are also encouraged to ‘Choose Wisely’ and select the right service for what they need. A&E departments are for serious and life-threatening injuries and conditions only. Common ailments such as coughs and colds are best dealt with at home with rest and a well-stocked medicine cabinet.
You can find out more by visiting the NHS 111 website https://111.nhs.uk/. If this does not answer your problem then you can call 111.
If someone is suffering from a life threatening condition such as a heart attack, stroke or a severe trauma then you should call 999 as that is an emergency and getting help quickly is the most important thing you can do to help that person.
If it's an emergency, call 999.
If you need urgent mental health support, please contact your Crisis Team:
North Cumbria 0800 652 2865
South Cumbria - 0800 953 0110