Resident doctors’ strike action will run until 7am on Monday 13 April and we are doing all that we can to reduce any disruption to our services.
During this period, consultants, other specialist doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and wider NHS staff will continue to provide care, and our priority will be maintaining safe services, especially in emergency and life‑saving care.
We are running services as normal, wherever possible, during the industrial action. If you do have an appointment please attend. We will contact you if we need to reschedule.
Our emergency departments will remain open 24 hours a day. Please continue to come forward as normal if you have a life-threatening emergency.
If you do not have a life-threatening emergency, people are being asked to think about which NHS service is most appropriate if they become unwell to ensure they get the help and the care that they need.
Community pharmacies can provide expert advice and treatment for a range of minor illnesses such as coughs, colds, sore throats, earache and stomach upsets, often without the need for an appointment.
For urgent medical help that is not life-threatening, NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, online or by phone, offering quick advice and directing patients to the most appropriate service.
Minor Injury Units (MIUs) are also available to treat non-life-threatening injuries such as sprains, minor fractures, burns and cuts, helping to reduce pressure on emergency departments.
Emergency departments (EDs) and 999 services should only be used for serious or life-threatening conditions, such as chest pain, severe bleeding, difficulty breathing or signs of a stroke.
We have recently introduced blood tests for our younger patients at the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Telford, which provides a more welcoming environment for them and their families.
Nine-year-old Dawson Fluck was the first patient to be seen at the paediatric phlebotomy service at the CDC.
The location marks an exciting step forward in improving the experience for our Trust’s young patients and their families, as is all part of our ambition to move care away from a hospital setting.
Last week was World Autism Acceptance Week and some of my colleagues took part in an Autism Reality Experience at both hospital sites to better understand and improve the support provided to autistic patients and people with additional sensory needs.
The Autism Reality Experience is an immersive training session which helps people understand how the world may feel for autistic individuals.
It encourages staff to think about how hospital environments, communication styles and everyday clinical processes might affect autistic patients during appointments or treatment.
Thank you to the Patient Experience Team for organising the training experience, which looks at improving the experience of all people using our services.