Further strike action by junior doctors starts this weekend and we, along with other healthcare organisations, will be working hard to deal with the pressure and disruption.

Junior doctors who are members of the British Medical Association (BMA) will be striking from 7am on Saturday 24 February to 11.59pm on Wednesday 28 February.

Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) will be striking from Saturday to 7am on Thursday 29 February.

We are working hard to deliver the best care possible during this time and the safety of our patients and our colleagues is our top priority.

Please continue to attend appointments as planned unless you are contacted to reschedule.

If you have a life-threatening emergency, our emergency departments remain open 24 hours a day, so please continue to come forward as normal.

You can also visit NHS 111 online or call 111 if you need urgent medical help or consider visiting your local Minor Injury Unit in Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Oswestry and Whitchurch. These can provide rapid treatment for injuries and illnesses that don’t require emergency hospital care.

For further information about Think Which Service, which aims to help you to know where to go to get the right advice, support and treatment for your health needs as quickly as possible, visit: http://thinkwhichservice.co.uk/

Our enabling works are progressing well on the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital site as part of the Hospitals Transformation Programme (HTP). These plans are part of the long-term salutation to transforming health and care services across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and mid-Wales.

We recognise that during these development works we will need to work differently, and we are committed to minimising the impact on our neighbours, patients and staff as much as possible.

Long-term we know that these vital works will improve care for all our communities and whilst these works have commenced, we thank you for your patience and understanding when visiting the site.

We have organised the next neighbour’s drop-in session, to give residents living near the site the opportunity to meet the project team and find out more about the development works.

It will be held on Thursday 29 February between 4pm and 7pm at Shropshire Conference and Education Centre, Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 8XQ. We hope you can join us.