NHS Coventry & Warwickshure
20 December 2022
Nursing Strike – 20th December
Ambulance Strike – 21st and 28th December
Nurses across Coventry and Warwickshire did not vote for strike action and so our Trusts will not be directly impacted by the nursing strike. However, there may be increased demands on services in our area due to industrial action in neighbouring systems.
West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) have announced they will be taking part in the two days of strike action and so we are expecting our services to be impacted on these days and in the days immediately following.
What this means for patients:
We know that many of you will hear questions and concerns about what services are available to patients during this period of industrial action. Some key things to note over the strike period are:
Nobody should put off seeking emergency care and key life-saving services are set to continue
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.
Unfortunately, patients whose conditions are not life-threatening are likely to experience delays in accessing urgent care during ambulance strikes. If clinically appropriate we ask that you consider using alternative transport, such as taxis, to get patients to A&E and UTCs
Primary care is not affected by the current planned strikes, so people should continue to attend their GP or dental appointments as scheduled.
Patients should attend hospital appointments as normal during strike days unless contacted directly by their hospital to reschedule.
For more information on what the NHS is doing to mitigate the impact of the strikes please visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/briefing-industrial-action-winter-2022/.
