Hospital consultants in England are planning industrial action running from 6.59am on Wednesday 25 November to 6.59am on Friday 27 November. There will be fewer doctors than usual, and some appointments and planned procedures may be affected. We are working to minimise disruption and are adjusting our services and staffing to prioritise safe care. Emergency care will continue to be available.
Please only come to the ED if you have a serious or life-threatening illness or injury. Otherwise, please call 111 for advice about which service is best for your needs. This may include your GP, pharmacy (including Harlow Pharmacy, adjacent to the hospital) or Urgent Treatment Centre.
You can continue to access care from maternity services, and critical services for our inpatients.
Those in less urgent need of care can expect to experience longer waiting times than normal.
You will be contacted if your appointment needs to be changed. Please continue to come forward for the care you need, unless you have been told that your appointment has been cancelled.
Thank you for your support and understanding.
Your questions answered
What if I have an appointment on a strike day?
Everyone who has an appointment should attend as planned, unless we have contacted you to reschedule. If we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment.
If you have been told that your appointment has been cancelled, please do not attend the hospital – our clinical teams will not be able to see you.
I have a loved one who will be a hospital inpatient on a strike day – how will their care be affected?
All hospital inpatients will be given relevant information on a ward-by-ward basis by the team involved in delivering their care.
When will I find out if my appointment is rescheduled?
We will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action. This is likely to be a text, phone call or a letter and you should be offered an alternative date for your appointment. If we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as planned.
If you receive a cancellation message followed by a reminder text for your appointment, please ignore the reminder text.
If my appointment is rescheduled, will I be put back to the bottom of the waiting list?
Any appointments that need to be rescheduled will be done as a priority.
Is there anything I should do now?
No, we will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action. Please try not to call the booking line, as we anticipate a high call volume.
Should I cancel my appointment on the day of strikes?
No, if we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as planned. For more information, you can visit the BMA website http://www.bma.org.uk.
What are the details for Harlow Pharmacy?
Harlow Pharmacy is located at:
Unit 2, Mayflower House, Wych Elm
Hamstel Road
Harlow
Essex
CM20 1FT
Contact number:
01279 626786
Harlow Pharmacy lists its usual Monday to Friday opening hours as 9am to 8pm. Please call 01279 626786 to confirm opening hours before travelling during the industrial action.