Hospital services at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust will be affected by upcoming industrial action by resident doctors. Resident doctors will exercise their right to strike over five days from 7am tomorrow (17th December), for 5 days, until 7am on Monday (22 December).

The Trust has made detailed plans to make sure we prioritise patients and staff safety and minimise the impact on services as far as possible. 

The majority of planned operations and outpatients will be maintained during the industrial action, where appointments are being rearranged those patients are being contacted directly. If you are not contacted then it is very important that you attend your appointment as normal.

People with urgent or life-threatening issues will always be prioritised, and those with non-urgent needs may experience long waits.

Dr Adrian Clements, Executive Medical Director at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) said:

“Industrial action is taking place at a time when flu and other respiratory viruses are circulating widely in our communities, which means our services are already under significant pressure.

“We are working hard to make sure that our services will remain safe during the strike, but we ask patients to use them wisely. Please only attend urgent and emergency care if it is truly an emergency. Unfortunately those who do need to come may face longer waits to be seen and treated, as fewer medical staff will be available, and we apologise in advance.

“We also ask that people do not visit loved ones in hospital if they have felt unwell in the past 48 hours. Infections can be much more serious for patients who are already in hospital, and they also contribute to staff sickness.

“Thank you to everyone for your understanding and support during this challenging time.”

 The public can help by:

  • Only calling 999 and attend emergency departments if it is a genuine life-threatening injury or illness
  • If it isn't an emergency, consider using a different service such as your GP or pharmacy.
  • Relatives and loved ones of inpatients can consider if they can support patients ready to be discharged sooner.

If you're not sure which service is best for your condition, please use NHS 111 online