Industrial Action taking place for BMA Consultants and Junior Doctors

Date: 15/12/2023

Updated: 19 December, 2023

The British Medical Association (BMA)  has announced that junior doctors will take strike action from 0700 on Wednesday 20 December until 0700 on Saturday 23 December. Further strikes from 0700 on Wednesday 3 January until 0700 on Tuesday 9 January have also been announced.

At Milton Keynes University Hospital

We are asking patients to choose services appropriately, and take simple steps to help ensure care is available to patients who need it most. This includes using NHS 111 as the first point of call for health needs and only using 999 if it is a life threatening emergency. There is no change to urgent and emergency care. 

At this time of year, when vulnerable people are particularly at risk from ill health, we also ask that people do what they can to look after loved ones and check in on family members and neighbours. We apologise to local people who are impacted by this action and thank them for their continued patience, cooperation and understanding.

Due to the expected increased pressures on the hospital during this time, waiting times may be longer than usual and elective (planned) care appointments (including operations, procedures, and outpatient clinics) will be postponed and rearranged for a different date.

If you have a planned operation, procedure, or outpatient appointment on, Wednesday 20 December – Saturday 23 December, we will contact you if it needs to be rearranged. If you have not been contacted, please attend as planned.

Full details of the impact at MKUH will be shared on our website and across our social media channels.

In all cases priority will be given to those patients with the most pressing health needs.

The hospital’s advice is:

• If you have a planned operation, procedure, or outpatient appointment on from 20th – 23rd December, we will contact you if it needs to be rearranged.
• If your condition is serious or life threatening, call 999 or go to Accident and Emergency
• If you need medical help on these days but it’s not serious or life-threatening, please contact your GP, visit your local pharmacist, call 111, use NHS 111 Online or consult www.nhs.uk.

The NHS nationally has been working closely with the BMA and HCSA to ensure patient safety is effectively maintained during this action.

Teams across the hospital have been working extremely hard to minimise the disruption to patients and during this period of industrial action, our dedicated colleagues will be doing everything they can to ensure our patients receive the treatment they need as best as possible so please do continue to treat them with respect.

Full details of the impact at MKUH will be shared on our website and across our social media channels.

Frequently asked questions

What if I need urgent or emergency care?

Anyone who needs urgent care should use NHS 111 online or call NHS 111 to be assessed and directed to the right care for them. When someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk, you should seek emergency care in the normal way, by calling 999 or attending A&E.

What if I have an appointment on strike days?

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 as normal. If your appointment has been postponed and you were due to come into hospital using patient transport ambulance services, please let them know.

Will emergency care be affected on strike days?

Emergency care will continue to be available across all parts of the country. It is really important that in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill, or their life is at risk, patients continue to come forward as normal.

Will GP services be affected on strike days?

GP services will be running as normal on strike days. Please continue to attend scheduled GP appointments.

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 will be via phone call. Following the initial cancellation, we will be in contact with you to offer an alternative date for your appointment.

Is there anything I should do now?

No. We will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action.

Should I cancel my appointment on the day of strikes?

No, if we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as planned. If you are not sure if your appointment is going ahead, please contact the clinic / department in your letter.