NHS faces its biggest week of strikes – what you need to know

Combined with other public sector worker strikes, this could create a lot more patient anxiety or media interest in what patients and organisations like Healthwatch have to say about the action. The fact that nurses are striking at the same locations two days in a row could also make it difficult for services to recover quickly.

Here’s what you need to know:

STRIKE DATES

• Monday 6 February:
  Nurses at 76 trusts in England (organised by Royal College of Nursing)
  Ambulance staff at 7 of England’s 10 ambulance trusts (GMB)

• Tuesday 7 February
  Nurses at the same 76 trusts as Monday (RCN)

• Wednesday 8 February
  No NHS staff strikes

• Thursday 9 February
  Physiotherapy strike at 33 trusts (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy)

• Friday 10 February
  Ambulance staff at five ambulance trusts (Unison)

MESSAGES FOR PATIENTS

Visit this NHS England webpage

Also check individual trust websites for details on service changes.

PUBLIC STATEMENTS

At Healthwatch England, our public statements so far have concentrated on calling for the NHS to issue clear information to patients and the public about changes to services and to swiftly rebook appointments or operations that have to be moved from strike dates.

If you choose to speak to local media, we advise keeping your statements factual and based on experiences patients have shared. If you want to talk through any approaches by national media, please email policy@healthwatch.co.uk.

IMPACT ON PATIENTS

NHSE has been collating data on the number of operations and outpatient appointments that have needed to be rescheduled. This data includes a breakdown by trust.

So far we are not hearing that you are being contacted by lots of members of the public concerned about the strikes. If that changes, please let us know, especially about people's experience of rebooking operations and appointments or calling 999 for emergencies. Send feedback to Research@healthwatch.co.uk.