NHS in Bucks warns of disruption to services with junior doctors set to stage three-day strike this week

People in Bucks are warned there will be disruption to some medical services and some operations will have to be rearranged, as the NHS locally prepares for a 72-hour strike by junior doctors this week.

Residents are urged to keep safe, keep hydrated, make sure prescriptions are up to date, look out for vulnerable family and friends and use NHS 111 online if necessary.

Junior doctors who are part of the British Medical Association and the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association will be on strike from 7am on Wednesday, June 14, until 7am on Saturday, June 17.

Junior doctors make up about half of the NHS doctors so this will cause disruption to some services, says the NHS body that decides how the budget is spent in this area and how care is delivered – the Bucks, Oxon and Berks West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB).

Resources will be prioritised to protect emergency treatment, critical care, maternity, neonatal care and trauma, the BOB ICB says.

NHS staff will be asked to prioritise emergency and urgent care over some routine appointments and procedures – but these will only be cancelled where unavoidable.

Steve McManus, interim chief executive of the BOB ICB, said: "We don’t underestimate the impact this industrial action will have on our patients. Some non-emergency operations and other appointments will be rearranged.”

During the industrial action, people are asked to continue using GP services as normal and keep appointments unless the NHS advises you not to, and to make best use of the NHS by using NHS 111 online, using the NHS App or speaking to your local pharmacist for health advice.

Mr McManus added: “The scale and length of this industrial action means that we cannot fully mitigate the impact on patients.

"The industrial action coincides with a heatwave across the UK and it’s really important for people of all ages to make sure that they stay well and safe by drinking lots more water than usual to stay well hydrated.

"Emergencies, critical care, maternity, trauma and neonatal care safe staffing will be our absolute priority, but it will involve the NHS working together across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West to ensure we are there for people at their moment of need. We are grateful to all our colleagues working during this time to keep services running and patients safe.”

Dr Rachael de Caux, chief medical officer for the BOB ICB and consultant in emergency medicine, said: “If you have an emergency or life-threatening need, continue to come to Emergency Departments.

"We expect them to be very busy in the days ahead and if your need is not an emergency you can expect to wait a very long time or be redirected to a more appropriate service. NHS 111 online remains the best place to help you get to the part of the NHS that can best respond to your needs.

“While the good weather might be welcome to some, it can also come with significant health risks, particularly for older people, very young children, and people with long-term health conditions like diabetes, COPD or heart failure. Taking a few simple steps can make a big difference to your health in hot weather.”