Junior doctor strikes in January

The British Medical Association (BMA) is continuing industrial action across the country for junior doctors for six days from 7am on Wednesday 3 January to 7am on Tuesday 9 January.

We will be prioritising patient safety and emergency care and we would ask the public to bear with us and support us by being kind to staff and considering the following:

• Please only use services if it is an emergency.
• If anyone needs emergency care, our Emergency Department (ED) is still open and will provide care for any child or young person who needs us. However, please be aware that for non-urgent cases we are expecting long waiting times to be seen.

Please consider consulting a pharmacist, visiting NHS 111 online, calling NHS 111, or going to the NHS Walk-in Centre on Broad Lane, before coming to the ED. If you are seriously concerned about your child and these options are not open to you, come to the ED or call 999.

Advice on how to Choose Well is available on our website: https://www.sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk/patien…/choose-well/

The Healthier Together website also has loads of advice on what families can do if they have concerns about their child’s health and how to care for children with minor injuries – before bringing them to the ED: https://sybhealthiertogether.nhs.uk/

Jeff Perring, Medical Director at Sheffield Children’s, said: “We are continuing to work closely with our medical colleagues and other services to put plans in place to make sure we maintain safe staffing levels during the industrial action.

“Families will be contacted if their appointments are impacted by the industrial action. If you haven’t been contacted, children and young people should attend appointments as usual. If anyone needs emergency care, our Emergency Department is still open and will provide care for any child or young person who needs us. However, please be aware that we are expecting our waiting times to be seen to be longer than normal.

“We know the decision to strike has not been taken lightly but there has been a strong commitment on all sides to make sure industrial action is balanced with the delivery of safe care. Our first responsibility is always to the children and families who depend on Sheffield Children’s. By working together we aim to reduce the impact the action will have on babies, children, young people and their families.”