The NHS is asking people to come forward for the care they need during the resident doctor strikes, explaining which services will continue and how to get help
The NHS is asking the public across England not to postpone medical care during the upcoming period of industrial action by resident doctors, which runs from 7 April at 7am until 13 April at 6:59am. Hospital teams have prepared contingency plans designed to protect critical pathways such as urgent and emergency care, cancer services and maternity care.
Although previous industrial action showed the service can keep the majority of activity running — maintaining almost 95% of planned care during a five-day strike in December — this round is expected to be more complicated because it follows a shorter notice period and overlaps with bank holidays.
Patients are advised to attend their booked appointments unless they have been contacted to reschedule. Primary care points such as GP practices, NHS 111 and urgent and emergency departments will continue to operate throughout the strike window. For people who need attention that is urgent but not life-threatening, the recommended first step is 111 online, which will direct callers to the most appropriate local service; for life-threatening events you should still call 999 or go to A&E immediately.
How hospitals are prioritising care
Trusts are focusing on keeping essential treatments available wherever possible, with particular emphasis on urgent surgery and ongoing cancer treatment. Hospital leaders have been instructed to protect these pathways while also doing their best to preserve routine activity. Staff redeployments and revised rotas are among the measures being used to minimise disruption. The aim is to maintain safe staffing levels for critical services and reduce the number of postponed operations and tests, building on lessons learned from the December action when most planned activity continued.
What patients should do and where to go
If you have a non-urgent concern that nevertheless needs attention, start with 111 online so a clinical triage can identify the right option for you. If you have a scheduled outpatient appointment, please keep it unless your provider contacts you with a change. For urgent symptoms that are not life-threatening, local urgent treatment centres and pharmacies may offer timely support; for immediate danger to life, follow the usual emergency route by calling 999 or attending A&E. These pathways remain the clearest way to access care safely during times of workforce disruption.
Patient rights, feedback and safety measures
Health bodies are reminding people that their experiences and feedback matter during strike periods. Sharing problems with local services helps spot gaps and improve responses. You can still ask for a second clinical opinion where needed: while clinicians are expected to respect requests for an alternative view, a second opinion is not an automatic legal entitlement on the NHS, though most teams will support such requests where appropriate. In hospitals there are also new safety measures to help detect deterioration early and make it easier for families and patients to ask for urgent reviews.
Martha’s Rule and escalation
One of the patient safety advances being rolled out is Martha’s Rule, a process intended to make urgent escalation easier when a patient is getting worse. In practice this means hospital staff and families should have direct access to a critical care outreach team around the clock, and wards must routinely gather daily feedback from patients and carers about any signs of deterioration. Early results from pilot periods have shown that direct escalation can trigger timely clinical reviews and, when needed, rapid transfer to higher-dependency care.
Leadership messages and reassurance
Senior NHS clinicians emphasise that staff across the service will work hard to keep people safe and to deliver care where it is most needed. Professor Ramani Moonesinghe, National Clinical Director for Critical and Perioperative Care, has urged patients to attend appointments unless told otherwise and to use the emergency routes for urgent problems. The Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, has expressed disappointment at the decision to strike, noting that the pay proposal on offer would have seen resident doctors approximately 35.2% better off, on average, compared with four years ago. He has also thanked NHS staff working through the period and reassured the public that plans are in place to protect patients.
In short, the NHS remains open during the strike: use 111 online for urgent advice, keep planned appointments unless contacted, and always call 999 or attend A&E for life-threatening emergencies. If you have concerns about how the strike affects your care, contact your provider and share your experience so services can respond and improve.
