Junior doctors to strike for four days in August

Junior doctors at Watford General Hospital, St Albans City Hospital and Hemel Hempstead Hospital will participate in a four-day strike from 7am on Friday 11 August until 7am on Tuesday 15 August.

The strike is in response to the government’s latest pay offer of 6%, which the BMA has said is “inadequate”. Junior doctors have been calling for a pay rise of 35% to address 15 years of pay erosion.

The strike is expected to cause widespread disruption to NHS services. NHS England has said that almost 700,000 inpatient and outpatient appointments have been cancelled as a result of the junior doctors strikes so far this year.

The government has said that it will not be re-opening negotiations on pay. However, the BMA has urged ministers to reconsider their position.

Impact of the strike

The strike is expected to have a significant impact on NHS services. Some hospitals may have to cancel all routine appointments and procedures, while others may only be able to offer emergency care.

Patients are advised to contact their hospital in advance to check if their appointment is going ahead. They should also be prepared to wait longer for treatment if they do need to attend hospital.

If you need emergency care

Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases.

If you’re concerned and feel you need to speak to someone, please contact your clinical team using the contact information on your appointment letter.

Junior Doctors strike in 2016 and later suspended action due to patient safety concerns.