Ahead of planned industrial action by members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on Wednesday and Thursday, the NHS is working hard across Sussex to minimise potential impact on patients and to keep as many services running as normally as possible.
Teams from NHS organisations in Sussex are contacting some patients with planned appointments on 18 and 19 January to make new arrangements where it is absolutely necessary.
If you have not been contacted directly it is important to attend your appointment(s) as planned. You do not need to phone ahead to confirm your appointment.
Emergency ambulance services, GP practices, community pharmacies and dentistry are not included in the planned nurses strike for 18 and 19 January. The public should continue to access these services as required.
However, it is likely that all our health services will be even busier than usual during strike days. Details about which services are available and how you can access them is on our website.
NHS Sussex Chief Medical Officer, Dr Dinesh Sinha, said: “All of our health and care staff working across Sussex remain dedicated to their patients throughout this time.
“Some patients will be contacted directly to have appointments rescheduled, but if the NHS has not been in touch it is important to attend as originally planned, so as not to delay your care.
“We ask for the public’s support and patience during these two days of industrial action so that those who most need help and treatment can get the care they need.”