How the junior doctors' strike will affect Bradford district from April 11-15
Junior doctors are planning to take industrial action for four days from Tuesday 11 April.
The action is likely to cause disruption to NHS services across West Yorkshire – including at Bradford Royal Infirmary and Airedale Hospital – particularly as it immediately follows the Easter bank holiday, when services will already be under pressure.
If people attend A&E with non-urgent or emergency conditions they will be waiting significantly longer than usual.
Instead, they should visit www.111.nhs.uk or call 111, or contact their local GP or pharmacist.
Appeal for help from the public
An urgent call for the public’s help has been made by Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership – made up of local NHS organisations, local councils, independent care organisations and the voluntary and community sector – that serves a population of around 650,000 people.
Helen Farmer, Director for Access to Care at Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership, said: “NHS teams across Bradford District and Craven continue to work hard to minimise disruption from the industrial action, but we are expecting a significant impact on local health services.
“We are asking the public to use NHS 111 Online as the first port of call for health needs and continue to only call 999 if it’s life-threatening.
“People should continue to attend any scheduled hospital appointments unless the NHS has contacted them to rearrange. Most GP services will be also running as normal on strike days. People should continue to attend GP appointments, unless contacted and told otherwise.”
Regardless of any strike action, anyone who needs emergency care should forward in the normal way – calling 999 or going to your nearest A&E department – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.
Health advice and information is available from NHS 111, which can be accessed by phone or online at www.111.nhs.uk. It can tell you where and how to get help for your symptoms and arrange a telephone call with a healthcare professional if appropriate. You can also use the NHS website to find an open pharmacy near you.
Emotional support is also available over this period through Guide-Line between 8am and 12am on 08001 884 884 or the Healthy Minds website to get help. For 24/7 urgent mental health crisis support, people should contact First Response on 08009521181.
Effect on local hospitals
Leanne Cooper, Chief Operating Officer at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust and Saj Azeb, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Like other hospitals throughout the country we are facing industrial action by junior doctors after the Easter bank holiday from Tuesday, 11 April for 96 hours.
“Patient safety is our priority and our clinical and operational teams are developing plans to ensure high quality, safe care can be maintained.
“All urgent and emergency care treatments are still going ahead. However, there will be a need to rearrange some operations and outpatient appointments, and anyone whose appointment or operation has been affected will be contacted. We know this is frustrating and are extremely sorry for the inconvenience. We will do our best to reschedule them as soon as possible.
“If you haven’t been told that your operation or appointment has been postponed, please attend your appointment as planned.
“During this period of industrial action, members of the public should continue to seek medical care in the usual way but we would urge them to only attend A&E departments across the district with life or limb-threatening emergencies."
More information from Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
More information from Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
