Local hospitals working hard to reschedule appointments after industrial action

Bosses at Sherwood Forest Hospitals have thanked patients for their understanding as they work to reschedule appointments affected by last week’s junior doctors’ strike.

The industrial action was called by the British Medical Association (BMA) and involved junior doctors nationally – including at the Trust’s King’s Mill, Mansfield Community and Newark Hospital sites.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals is now working hard to rearrange the hundreds of appointments affected by the strike, which was held between 7am on Wednesday 14 June and 7am on Saturday 17 June.

Dr David Selwyn, Medical Director at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “Junior doctors play a vital role in helping to deliver all aspects of healthcare across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – and that’s certainly true here at our hospitals.

“Our junior doctors make up nearly half of our medical workforce, so it was inevitable that there was going to be some disruption as our hardworking colleagues worked to ensure that patients could continue to access the vital urgent and emergency care they needed.

“We are grateful to all our NHS colleagues for the work they did to put us in the best possible place to prepare for that disruption.

“We know there is a patient behind each and every one of those numbers, which is why we’re working hard to re-book those appointments so that all those affected can access the treatment they deserve as soon as possible.

“I’m sure I speak for us all in hoping that a resolution can be found to this national dispute as quickly as possible.”

The message comes following the release of new data from NHS England this week (Monday 19 June) that reveals the extent of the impact of last week’s industrial action across the Trust’s hospitals.

According to the data, a total of 451 outpatient appointments that were originally due to take place during the period of the strike needed to be rescheduled across the Trust’s hospitals as a result of the industrial action.

A further 56 ‘elective’ inpatient procedures and ‘day cases’ also needed to be rescheduled, after they were originally due to take place during the same 72-hour period of the industrial action.

Here’s how you can continue to help your local NHS:

• Please use A&E or call 999 if you are facing life-threatening illness or injury. Your NHS is here for you when you need it – especially if you or your loved ones become seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.
• If your relative is due to be discharged from hospital and needs to be collected, please do whatever you can to help bring them home as early as possible. This will help our teams to free-up a hospital bed for someone waiting to be admitted.
• The quickest way to receive medical help is via NHS111 online, but you can also use your GP, pharmacy or urgent treatment centre.
• Pharmacies can offer over-the-counter advice and treat common illnesses such as colds, sore throats, stings and allergies.
• Please attend your scheduled appointments as planned. If you can’t make your planned appointment, please contact the service using the number on your appointment letter to rearrange.
• Consider using Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs). They can treat injuries including sprains, strains, suspected fractures, bites, cuts, scalds, and other non-life-threatening conditions. Waiting times are usually much shorter than A&E. There are UTCs at:
  • Nottingham – The NHS Urgent Care Centre (next to the BBC building) is open every day from 7am-7pm. You don’t need an appointment to attend. Seaton House, London Road, Nottingham, NG2 4LA Tel: 0115 883 8500
  • Newark – Newark Hospital is open 9am-10pm (last patient admitted at 9.30pm). It can be found on Boundary Road, NG24 4DE
  • Ilkeston Community Hospital – is open 8am – 8pm. It can be found on Heanor Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 8LN. You can book into this service via 111.