Strike action taking place in February
09 February 2024 - Important information for patients during junior doctor strikes
The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced that junior doctors will take part in strike action from 7am on Saturday 24 February to 11.59pm on Wednesday 28 February.
The strike action will significantly impact services run by the Trust. This includes services at King’s College Hospital, Princess Royal University Hospital, Orpington Hospital, plus some services at Beckenham Beacon and Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup.
We are working hard to make sure we can continue to provide emergency and life-preserving services on the strike days. However, to help us safely manage the impact of the strikes, we have had to postpone a large number of non-urgent appointments and procedures scheduled for the strike days.
Our teams are contacting patients directly if we need to re-schedule your operation or appointment. However, if you have an appointment at any of our hospitals on these days, please assume this is going ahead unless you have been told otherwise.
Helping us manage demand
If you need medical advice but it’s not an emergency, please consider using a different service to get the care you need. You could:
- call NHS 111 or visit the NHS 111 website
- make an appointment with your GP
- go to a local pharmacist
In our Emergency Departments (A and E), we will assess you as quickly as we are able to. If we feel you need to stay, we will aim to treat you as soon as possible, based on the urgency of your clinical need.
If we feel you could be seen elsewhere, we will ask you to do so and advise you on the most appropriate place to go. If you then decide to stay, please be aware that you could be waiting a long time to be seen.
Please treat all staff with respect during this busy time. Thank you for your support, and we would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.