As the social care sector prepares for the impact of continued industrial action in the NHS in England, including by junior doctors on 13-16 March and physiotherapists on 22 March, providers are referred to key messaging from NHS England on local level preparation and asked to engage with their Integrated Care System (ICS) for support and guidance.
A further communication from NHS England makes clear that emergency, urgent and critical care will be prioritised by the NHS this week. Routine appointments and procedures will only be cancelled where unavoidable and patients will be offered an alternative date as soon as possible.
The NHS is reiterating that patients should still come forward for the care they need and attend any planned appointments unless contacted to reschedule.
The public is urged to use 999 and A&E for life-threatening emergencies only during the planned industrial action and to make use of NHS 111 online and other services for non-urgent needs.
