Sussex Residents Urged To Support NHS As More Strikes Loom

People across Sussex are being urged to continue their support for NHS services during industrial action as two further periods of industrial action are set for Christmas and New Year.

The British Medical Association has confirmed that junior doctors are due to strike from 7am on Wednesday, December 20 to 7am on Saturday, December 23, and then a week later from 7am on Wednesday, January 3 until 7am on Tuesday, January 9.

Health services in Sussex are already seeing high numbers of people needing care and support and increasing numbers needing to be hospitalised for various issues, including respiratory illnesses. It is expected that these increases will continue leading up to the festive period, but the industrial action will mean there will be fewer medical staff available.

Health and care partners say they are working together to plan and prepare, to ensure that urgent and emergency services are prioritised, but it is expected to be very challenging.

Health and care leaders recognise we cannot do it alone and are calling on the public to take simple steps during the two upcoming periods of industrial action to help the NHS to make sure services can be available for those who need them.

Local people and visitors to Sussex are being asked to take the following actions:

• Choose the most appropriate NHS service for needs and only use 999 and A&E or Emergency Departments for serious or life-threatening emergencies.
• For anything that isn’t a life-saving emergency, use an alternative NHS service and to use NHS 111 first either online or by phone.
• Know it may take longer than expected to be seen and treated.
• Collect family and friends from hospital as soon as they are ready to be discharged.

• To stay away from hospitals if showing the symptoms of flu or COVID-19 (or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19), unless it is an emergency.

Planned appointments and clinics are likely to be affected, however, people should continue to attend their appointments unless they are contacted directly by the NHS.

Patients do not need to contact their NHS service or team in advance, the team will contact patients directly if an appointment needs to be rescheduled.

Dinesh Sinha, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Sussex, said:

“Each year we see increases in the number of people who need NHS help and care over the Christmas and New Year period. This year however, we will have fewer medical staff due to annual leave, sickness and now industrial action. 

“We are putting in additional measures to help manage the high numbers of people that NHS services are currently caring for, including enhancing support for people to remain at home, increasing urgent community response, and a targeted approach to those who regularly use urgent care services – but we need the public’s help.

“The support from local people during the previous rounds of industrial action this year has been vital, and I want to acknowledge the positive impact the public had over these strikes by choosing the most appropriate service if they needed NHS help and support. We ask that people have the same consideration during the festive period – please think about how you and your loved ones can stay well and healthy, and if you do need help, where you can get the most appropriate NHS support.”

For more information visit our Help Us Help You webpages: Help Us Help You this winter – Sussex Health and Care (ics.nhs.uk)