People are being asked to only call 999 in a real emergency as York Hospital loses almost half its medical workforce during the latest strike action.
Junior doctors began a three-day walkout at 7am this morning (Wednesday). They will return to work at 7am on Saturday.
It comes as NHS chiefs warned the number of people seeking emergency help will rise as the hot weather continues across the UK.
The strike is the third this year by junior doctors and is expected to cause mass disruption, with thousands of patients having their operations and appointments rescheduled while the overall NHS waiting list continues to grow.
The British Medical Association (BMA) is calling for “full restoration” of pay, which it says has seen a 26% cut, and says the government has offered only 5% to end the dispute.
York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust runs York Hospital. A spokesperson said: “Locally, our junior doctors make up 49% of our medical workforce and as such the strike action is likely to have a significant impact.
“Urgent and emergency treatment remains our priority and patients can continue to access care from our emergency departments, maternity services, and critical services for inpatients.”
The trust says people who have an appointment at the hospital should attend as planned, unless they have contacted you to reschedule.
it will rearrange any postponed appointments as a priority. “We appreciate this situation is frustrating for patients affected and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
A BMA poll of 1,935 junior doctors in England, published on Wednesday, found 53% are making plans to leave the NHS or are thinking about leaving as a result of the Government’s response to industrial action.
Some 67% do not think the NHS in its current form will exist in 10 years and 88% expect the NHS to get worse over the next 18 months.
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