Warning to Cheshire residents as junior doctors prepare to strike

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside are being urged to use NHS 111 for all non-emergency healthcare needs.

The message comes ahead of five days of industrial action after unions announced a full walkout of junior doctors amid a dispute over pay.

With the NHS already experiencing 'severe seasonal pressures', the strike is expected to cause significant disruption.

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s deputy medical director, Dr Fiona Lemmens, said: “The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to mitigate risks to patient safety and manage any disruption during industrial action, but inevitably a walkout on this scale will lead to significant service disruption.

“If you need urgent medical help and you're not sure where to go, use NHS 111 online to get assessed and directed to the right place for you. But you should still call 999 or go to A&E in an emergency when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.”

The strikes will affect services around Cheshire, including at Victoria Infirmary (Image: Google Maps)

The strike, which lasts from 7am on June 27 to 7am on July 2, will affect NHS sites across Cheshire including Leighton Hospital in Crewe, the Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, Knutsford and District Community Hospital, and Macclesfield District General Hospital.

It stems from a dispute between the Government and trade unions, who are calling for full pay restoration to reverse the 'steep decline' in pay faced by junior doctors since 2008/09.

Junior doctors make up almost half of all hospital doctors and work in almost every part of the hospital, including A&E.

They help to diagnose patients and put them under anaesthetic, write prescriptions, support the process of admission and discharge, maintain the flow of patients through the hospital and ensure beds are available for those who need them the most.

Where possible, the NHS will aim to continue to deliver care as planned, especially for patients in greatest clinical need.

Anyone with appointments is advised to attend as planned unless contacted directly by the NHS to reschedule.  told to

 Up-to-date information about disruption to services will be shared on local NHS websites and social media channels.

Meanwhile, NHS 111 is available 24/7 and can provide information such as where to get help for your symptoms, where to get an emergency supply of prescriptions, and how to get an emergency dental appointment.

If needed, NHS 111 can also arrange a call back from a nurse, doctor or paramedic.