Industrial strike action – 11, 18, 19, 23, 26 January and 6, 7, 9, 10 February
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced that it will take further strike action on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 January, and on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 February. Some ambulance Trusts, including London Ambulance Service, have also announced strikes for Wednesday 11 and Monday 23 January, and Friday 1o February. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists (CSP) has announced that its members will be striking on Thursday 26 January and Thursday 9 February.
During the first round of strikes, we put in place measures that worked well. We continue to have robust and comprehensive plans to minimise disruption for patients across all our south east London services, and make sure that patient safety is always the primary concern.
Scheduled appointments and operations should continue as usual, unless there’s a clinical or safety reason to reschedule. Providers will contact patients directly, if that’s the case.
For instance, King’s College Hospital are contacting patients directly if their appointments need to be rescheduled. Check their website on www.kch.nhs.uk to see if there are any changes to how the strikes will impact on services.
You can help alleviate pressure on our services by using the right services when appropriate.
Although some service disruptions and delays are unavoidable, the NHS and trade unions are continuing to collaborate to guarantee that patients continue to receive safe care throughout any industrial action. During the strike, our partners will make every effort to support patients, especially those who have the greatest clinical need.