Industrial action update – February 2024

The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced junior doctors will take strike action from 07:00 on Saturday 24 February to 23:59 on Wednesday 28 February.

Hospital Consultants and Specialists Assoc (HCSA) has also announced that their junior doctor members will be on strike from 06:59 on Saturday 24 February until 07:00 on Thursday 29 February.

This period of industrial action will affect a number of NHS trusts, including Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and is part of an ongoing dispute between the government and trades unions.

Patient safety is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining patient care as much as possible and providing the most essential services on these days. We will only reschedule appointments and procedures where necessary and will rebook as soon as possible.

Appointments and services

If you have an appointment, please attend as planned. Please don’t call to check if your appointment is going ahead. If your appointment is affected by industrial action, we will contact you directly.

Maternity services will be running as usual. For details visit our Maternity pages (somersetft.nhs.uk)

Visiting patients We continue to welcome family members and loved ones to visit patients at our hospitals, please speak to your ward to arrange visits as usual.

Which service should I access?

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 - when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.

We would like to encourage anyone with a non-urgent care need to first seek help from NHS 111, before attending our hospital sites. For more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can also visit the NHS UK website

• If you have a life-threatening emergency, our ED is open 24 hours a day
• If you have a minor illness or minor injury - pharmacies and MIUs are open
• If you have an urgent medical problem that isn’t a serious or life-threatening emergency and aren’t sure what to do, contact 111 first by phone or online at 111.nhs.uk– they will provide immediate medical advice and direct you to the best care for your needs GP practices will continue to be open during the strike periods.
• Please continue to attend your GP and dental appointments, unless you are contacted and told otherwise
• Self-care: Visit NHS 111 online for self-care advice for things like grazed knees, coughs and colds
• Pharmacy: Visit your local pharmacy for headaches, upset stomachs, aches and pains
• Minor injury unit: Attend your local minor injuries unit for urgent not life-threatening conditions and injuries such as sprains, fractures and burns.
• For the latest information on opening hours and services, visit the MIU pages
• Further information on NHS services, opening hours and waiting times can also be found by downloading the NHS Quicker App.

You can find more information about healthcare services across Somerset on the NHS Somerset website.

Thank you for your support and understanding. Please be patient and kind to all our colleagues during this time.

Useful links:

Visit the NHS England website for more information about the strikes, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions.