Ambulance strikes on Wednesday 11 January

As members of the public will already be aware, our colleagues in the ambulance services will be taking strike action on Wednesday 11 January. Ambulance services may also be affected over the following days. During the strike period, ambulances will still respond to the most urgent 999 calls but other ambulance calls may either be delayed or not sent at all. Some patients who need hospital treatment may be advised to make their own way there.

Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent care for emergency and life-threatening cases continue to come forward as normal. On days when there is strike action, patients should only call 999 in the case of serious illness or injury where life is at risk.

Our hospitals are exceptionally busy at the moment and our staff are working extremely hard under very challenging circumstances. Given how busy we already are and the potential impact of strike action, we would ask the public to help us ensure we can focus on our sickest patients by seeking alternative support through NHS111 online or through calling NHS 111, where the situation is not life-threatening. For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, please visit the NHS UK website.

We always prioritise our sickest patients. If you do attend our A&Es where your condition is not serious or life-threatening, some patients will be asked to go elsewhere to seek support or you may have a very long wait for treatment.

Thank you for your understanding.