Thursday 20 July 2023
 Severe disruption to NHS services in Devon as
consultants go on strike
The NHS in Devon is giving advice to residents and visitor as the county’s hospitals and NHS services prepare for the first strike by consultants in a decade.
Consultant doctors and hospital-based dentists will be taking industrial action from 8am on Thursday 20 July until 8am on Saturday 22 July.
In contrast to strike action among other staff groups, no other clinicians can provide cover for consultants, so any planned care delivered by junior doctors or other healthcare professionals that requires even remote consultant supervision will need to be rescheduled. This means a significant amount of planned care involving junior doctors will be affected.
Consultants will provide ‘Christmas Day cover’, meaning they will continue to provide all emergency services but routine services will be impacted.
The NHS says is prioritising resources to protect emergency and urgent care, critical care, neonatal care, maternity, and trauma.
Their advice for local people and holiday makers is that people should use 999 in life-threatening emergencies and NHS 111 online for other health concerns. GP services and pharmacies are also available for patients and can be accessed in the normal way.
If you haven’t been contacted or informed that your planned appointment has
been postponed, please attend as normal.
 Advice for residents and visitors
Hospital appointments
The NHS will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action. If they have not contacted you, please attend your appointment as
planned.
Urgent or emergency care
Please use NHS 111 online for medical help and advice but call 999 if it is a
life-threatening emergency.
During strike days, it is likely 999 call handlers will be very busy and NHS 111 call centres will have fewer staff, therefore longer call response times are expected. Don't forget you can use NHS 111 online.
Visit the NHS website for more information on when to call 999 and when to go to A&E.
Please check Trust websites for information on Minor Injury Units and Urgent Care Centres.
Mental health support
If you, or someone you know, experiences a mental health crisis you can access
support from a number of places:
- 24/7 urgent mental health helpline 0808 196 8708
- Mental Health Matters helpline (24/7) 0800 470 0317
- Mental Health Crisis Line Plymouth is open 24/7 0800 923 9323
- Samaritans 1116 123
- Text SHOUT to 85258 for 24/7 text support
GP and dental appointments
GP practices will continue to be open as normal during the strikes. Please continue to attend your GP and dental appointments, unless you are contacted and told otherwise.
Visitors to Devon are also reminded that their first port of call for GP care is their
home practice, which will be able to provide online, phone and video consultations as well as arranging for prescriptions to be sent to any pharmacy you choose.
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