Consultants and junior doctors in England will take industrial action this week.
Top doctors will walk out on various days, including 24 hours of joint action on Wednesday, September 20, which is set to be one of the most disruptive strikes yet.
At Liverpool Royal Hospital, consultants will begin strike action this morning, on Tuesday, September 19 until Thursday, September 21. Junior doctors will then join them on Wednesday.
NHS leaders across the North West are urging people to access NHS care wisely, as services are expected to be severely impacted due to both hospital consultants and junior doctors taking part in strike action on the same day for the first time in NHS history.
Ahead of the extensive action, the NHS is reminding the public that they should continue to use health services as they usually would – using 999 and A&E in life threatening and emergency situations, and using 111 online for less-urgent health concerns.
GPs and pharmacies can be used by the public for health advice and appointments as normal.
In contrast to strike action among other staff groups, no other clinicians can provide cover for consultants, so any planned care delivered by junior doctors or other healthcare professionals, that requires even remote consultant supervision will need to be rescheduled.
This means a significant amount of planned care will be affected, and many services will have avoided scheduling planned appointments altogether. Follow our latest updates on the strike action below.
Dan Haygarth
Cars beeping in support
Dan Haygarth
'This is about thinking about the patients of the future'
Dan Haygarth
Our reporter is at the Royal
Dan Haygarth
Who is on strike?
NHS consultants have walked out today and will do so again tomorrow, when they will be joined by junior doctors for the first joint strike in NHS history. Junior doctors will then continue their strike on Thursday and Friday.
All NHS Trusts across Merseyside and Cheshire are affected.
Both consultant and junior doctor members of the British Medical Association (BMA) will again join forces for strikes on October 2, 3 and 4. A Christmas Day-style service will be provided on the joint strike action days, with emergency care the priority.
Ellen Kirwin
Additional pressure on services expected
Using 111 online gives the same responses as the phone service, but may give a quicker answer than contacting the phone line. In addition, community pharmacies offer a range of services and have a wealth of information and expertise if someone needs advice.
GP and pharmacy services will be available in the normal way during industrial action, search online for ‘find a pharmacy’ or click Find a pharmacy – NHS (www.nhs.uk) for details.
Patients who haven’t been contacted or informed that their planned appointment has been postponed are also urged to attend as normal.
Dr Paula Cowan, Regional Medical Director for Primary Care for NHS England – North West, said:
"With both consultants and junior doctors striking on the same day, this unique period of action will affect almost all routine care and put additional pressure on our urgent and emergency care services.
"Please continue to come forward for the care you need, including using 999 and A&E for life-threatening situations, and 111 online for less urgent health advice. You should use GP and pharmacy services as normal, including attending planned appointments unless told otherwise.
"We’re very grateful to the public for using the NHS wisely during this period when we will be prioritising emergency care."