Strikes in October - get the dates and answers to common questions
The British Medical Association (BMA) and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) are planning further strikes including joint industrial action in the first week in October. There will also be strikes affecting the tube and national rail networks.
Consultants BMA members, junior doctor BMA and HCSA members will start joint strike action from 7am, Monday 2 October until 7am, Thursday 5 October. Christmas Day cover (for emergency services such as A&E) will be in place throughout the October strike.
There will also be industrial action affecting many national rail services on Saturday 30 September and Wednesday 4 October. The tube strike that was planned for Wednesday 4 and Friday 6 October has been suspended.
These strikes will have a significant impact on our hospitals and our priority, as with all industrial action, will be to ensure everyone’s safety. We will continue to run urgent and emergency services throughout the strike, including our A&E departments and maternity units. But we will need to reschedule some of the planned operations and outpatient appointments that are currently booked in for those days. If we need to reschedule your appointment, including if we need to change it to a virtual appointment, we will contact you directly as soon as possible to tell you.
We will arrange a new appointment as soon as we can. We are expecting a challenging few days, with extended waits in our A&E departments. We encourage anyone who needs non-emergency medical help or advice to go to NHS 111 online. But, if you need emergency care (for instance if someone is seriously ill, injured or their life is at risk), you should continue to call 999.
Q&A
How will I know if my appointment or surgery is going ahead?
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If you are not contacted by us, please come to your appointment as planned.
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If you are unsure, please call the number on your appointment letter or email appointments@imperial.nhs.uk.
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If your appointment or surgery does need to be postponed, we will reschedule it for as soon as possible.
Can I rearrange my appointment?
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If you'd like to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please call the number on your appointment letter.
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Alternatively, please email appointments@imperial.nhs.uk.
What do I do if I need medical help or advice?
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If you need non-urgent medical help or advice, go to NHS 111 online.
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If you need urgent care (for instance if someone is seriously ill, injured or their life is at risk), you should call 999.
Where can I find out more about the strikes on public transport?
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Check for updates on TfL (tube network) and National Rail (train services) and plan ahead for your journey.
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If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please call the number on your appointment letter or email appointments@imperial.nhs.uk.
