Local health leaders warn of disruption as junior doctors strike

As the next round of junior doctors' strikes begin, residents of Shropshire, Telford, and Wrekin are reminded of the significant impact their support can have during what is anticipated to be a busy period for the local NHS.

Junior doctors at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, and other local NHS facilities went on strike at 7am this morning, continuing until 7am on Tuesday, 2 July.

This marks the first industrial action by junior doctors since February.

Healthcare leaders across Shropshire, Telford, and Wrekin are working to minimise patient disruption during the strikes. They are now calling on the public to demonstrate the same high level of support observed during previous industrial actions.

Vanessa Whatley, Chief Nursing Officer of NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board, which organises health services for the region, stated: “The NHS has now been affected by industrial action for more than a year and extended industrial action within the NHS remains a major concern.

“Our hospitals are expected to be exceptionally busy during the five-day walkout and the subsequent days. Our teams are committed to maintaining services so that urgent care can be provided to those in critical need.

“Local residents can assist us in managing this challenging situation by only visiting emergency departments (A&E) or calling 999 for genuine, life-threatening emergencies, and seeking help for other minor illnesses and injuries from other services such as NHS 111, community pharmacies and Minor Injury Units (MIUs).”

All GP practices in the area will remain open, including the enhanced access service (out of hours) but are also likely to be extremely busy. Please continue to contact your GP practice if you need GP services and the out of hours can be reached via 111.nhs.uk. Remember you can also book appointments and order repeat prescriptions online or by using the NHS app.

Your local pharmacy can help with minor illnesses like coughs, colds and red eye. our local pharmacy can help with minor illnesses like coughs, colds and red eye. You can also now get care for a variety of common conditions including middle ear inflammation, impetigo, infected insect bites, shingles, sinusitis, sort throats and UTIs from local pharmacies. They are open late and no appointment is needed.

Patients who need medical help or advice but are unsure where to go, should contact NHS 111 online unless it is a life-threatening emergency when you should still call 999.

Patients with scheduled hospital appointments during the strike will be notified as soon as possible if their appointments need to be rescheduled. Those who are not contacted should attend their appointments as planned and are advised not to call ahead to confirm, as phone lines will be busy assisting those affected by changes.

During any industrial action, anyone experiencing a life-threatening emergency, such as severe chest pain, significant bleeding, or loss of consciousness, should not hesitate to visit the nearest hospital or call 999.