Advice for patients during ambulance industrial action planned for December 21 and 28

As you may be aware, industrial action is planned by some members of staff working for ambulance services.

On these days all services at our sites will continue to run as normal, including emergency care and our Urgent Treatment Centres.

Please only call 999 if it is a medical or mental health emergency (when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk). Ambulances will still be able to respond in these situations, but this may only be where there is the most immediate risk to life.

Where the situation is not life-threatening, alternative support will be available through NHS 111 online or through calling NHS 111 (longer call response times are expected), and where possible, it is advised that you arrange alternative transport.

If we have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as planned. The NHS will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action.

GP services are not impacted by this strike action so please continue to attend your GP appointments unless you are told otherwise.

For further information on the strike action and what it means for you, please click here.

For support and advice on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E, you can visit the NHS UK website.