Sheffield Teaching Hospitals warn of delays and unit closure amid junior doctor strike starting today

Industrial action by junior doctors - a title which covers all doctors except consultants - begins today.

It began at 7am, and is planned to last five days.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement: “We will be prioritising patient safety and emergency care but we are likely to have considerably fewer doctors available during this time and as a consequence waiting times will be much longer than normal for less urgent conditions or injuries.”

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The Trust will be closing the Minor Injuries Unit at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital throughout the strike period.

It advises anyone who needs guidance or non-urgent advice to contact 111 (who can directly book GP appointments out of hours), or attend the Broad Lane walk-in service in the city centre.

It recommends that people organise all the medicines they need for the strike period, and pick up relatives from hospital promptly when they are ready to be discharged.

Other alternatives to A&E and information can be found on the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board’s website.

The statement reads: “Patients who have planned procedures or appointments should attend as planned unless contacted by us. If your appointment or procedure is postponed, we will rearrange it as quickly as we can.”