The NHS is asking patients to continue coming forward for care as thousands of resident doctors are expected to strike.
Industrial action runs from 7am on Friday 14 November until 7am on Wednesday 19 November. Hospital teams are working around the clock to minimise disruption. Plans are in place to continue life‑saving care as normal, and hospital chiefs have been instructed to keep routine operations going where possible — aiming for 95% of elective activity to proceed, with appointments only rescheduled in exceptional cases for patient safety.
NHS leaders warn the strikes coincide with a challenging period for the service, with flu cases expected to peak immediately after the action. During the last round of strikes in July, NHS efforts preserved services so that over 10,000 extra patients received care compared with the previous five days of industrial action in summer 2024. The NHS maintained the majority of operations, tests and procedures while handling urgent and emergency cases.
The public is advised to attend planned appointments unless contacted to reschedule. Primary, urgent and emergency care services will remain available. For urgent but non‑life‑threatening problems during the strikes, the public should use 111 online to be directed to the most appropriate service. For emergencies, people should continue to call 999 or go to A&E.
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England National Medical Director, said it is frustrating and disappointing to face another round of industrial action at a difficult time, with rising flu and likely staff absences due to illness. She said staff across the NHS are working hard to maintain care and limit disruption and urged the public to attend appointments unless told otherwise. “Inevitably some appointments won’t be able to go ahead as planned but we are doing everything possible to keep this to a minimum,” she said, adding that in an emergency people should dial 999 or use 111 online, a pharmacist or GP for other concerns.
Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said the NHS is resilient and aiming to keep 95% of planned care going. He noted the last round reduced cancellations by 11,000 compared with previous strikes and limited costs by millions, and thanked staff for their efforts. He blamed the BMA for the disruption, saying the union refused to put the government’s offer to members and urging resident doctors not to strike and to come to work to care for patients.
This is the 13th round of strikes by resident doctors since March 2023, totalling 54 days of disruption. Resident doctors (formerly called junior doctors) make up about half of all doctors in the NHS and have up to eight years’ hospital experience depending on specialty, or up to three years in general practice.
