‘Help Us Help You’ to get the right care during Easter and industrial action

Local NHS services in Coventry and Warwickshire are bracing themselves for a busy Easter bank holiday weekend and four days of industrial action by Junior Doctors (11 to 15 April).

To help the NHS cope with the anticipated demand, healthcare professionals are urging patients to use services wisely.

By using the right service, patients can ensure that care is available to those who need it most. Patients are advised to first contact 111 online for non-life-threatening health needs, and to only use 999 for life-threatening emergencies.

Professor Kiran Patel, Chief Medical Officer at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, said: “Easter and all bank holidays are normally a busy time for health and care services and, with industrial action also planned, we are expecting services to be under increased pressure throughout the following week too.

“You can call 111 or visit 111 online, which is a free NHS Service and they can quickly direct you to the right health service, including out of hours GP appointments. Pharmacists can also help with a range of common conditions and minor injuries.

“Local people can play their part to help reduce pressures on services by only using 999 and A&E for genuine life-threatening emergencies and using NHS 111 online or by phone for other care needs or if you’re unsure about whether you should go to hospital.

“If you have an appointment, please continue to come forward for the care you need. Please don’t call to check if your hospital appointment is going ahead, you’ll be contacted directly if it needs to be rearranged.”

Dr Varadarajan Baskar, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re doing all we can to ensure we provide safe services over the Bank Holiday weekend and during the industrial action.

“We’re expecting it to be very busy and want to ensure we can provide the right care for the people that need us the most. Therefore, we really are appealing for people to help us by choosing wisely and only visit our Emergency Department for life-threatening or emergency situations. There are alternatives and we’d urge people to consider these.”

During industrial action the NHS will prioritise resources to protect emergency treatment, critical care, neonatal care, and trauma, and ensure we prioritise patients who have waited the longest for elective care and cancer surgery. Appointments will only be cancelled where it is necessary and will be rescheduled immediately, where possible.

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year online at 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111 for any urgent but not life-threatening medical needs.

Trained advisers can direct people to the best possible care for their needs, including arranging an out-of-hours GP appointment or an appointment time to attend A&E or a Minor Injury Unit, as well as referrals to Urgent Community Response services that provide care in your usual place of residence and aims to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.

People who have repeat prescriptions are also being asked to ensure they have enough medication to last throughout the Bank Holiday. If you are due to run out, you can use the NHS’s emergency prescription service by clicking here.

You can also find a list of pharmacy opening hours for Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday across Coventry and Warwickshire by clicking here