Industrial action – 12 January

The British Medical Association (BMA) has confirmed that its junior doctor members have voted to take industrial action.

This action is due to take place as follows:

• junior doctors to provide emergency care only – 8am Tuesday 12 January to 8am Wednesday 13 January
• junior doctors to provide emergency care only – 8am to 5pm, Tuesday 26 January to 8am Thursday 28 January
• full walk-out – 8am to 5pm, Wednesday 10 February.

Senior managers and clinicians in the Trust are working closely with trade union representatives to ensure that the quality and safety of care that we provide to patients is protected as far as possible.

We can now confirm which services we will be able run safely during the first day of planned industrial action on 12 January:

• from 8am on 12 January to 8am on 13 January, emergency care will be prioritised - we expect to run all urgent and emergency care services (including A&E and maternity) and all community services
• consultants will cover the usual duties of our junior doctors on our hospital wards to ensure the safety of inpatients
• we are rescheduling some non-urgent operations and outpatient clinic appointments which are due to take place during the industrial action – we apologise for any inconvenience caused to patients due to circumstances outside our control (this is a national strike)
• any patients affected will be contacted in advance of 12 January.

Dr Ian Abbs, the Trust’s Medical Director, says: “The safety of our patients is the Trust’s priority at all times in making decisions about which services we are able to run on 12 January and the subsequent days of industrial action.

“We will communicate further information to patients and the public as and when we have assessed the full implications of the industrial action due to take place from 26-28 January and on 10 February.”