Services at Kingston Hospital will be impacted by strike action taking place from 7am on Friday 14 November until 7am on Wednesday 19 November.

Patients should continue to attend appointments as planned, unless they are told otherwise. It is important that people also continue to come forward for urgent care during the strike action, especially in an emergency and in life-threatening cases.

Dr Bill Oldfield, Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust’s Chief Medical Officer, said: “Patient safety is our priority, and staff are working hard to minimise disruption to care and treatment, however we are expecting the coming days to be challenging.

“Waiting times in our Emergency Department will be longer than usual and we will be prioritising patients based on the urgency of their clinical need - if we feel you could be seen elsewhere, we may redirect you. We would like to apologise to our patients for the disruption we are expecting, and to thank them for their understanding.”

During strike action the NHS is still here for people who need it. Call NHS 111 if you need advice on where to go for medical help and what to do next - a trained adviser will advise you on the best care pathway.

Teddington Urgent Treatment Centre is open from 8am until 8pm (7 days a week). Local pharmacies may also be able to help and can provide advice on minor health concerns from skin rashes to earaches and flu. Many pharmacies stay open late, and no appointment is needed. You can also contact your GP surgery for appointments about illnesses or injuries that won’t go away.

You should always call 999 if it’s a life-threatening emergency. Find out more about when to call 999 and when to go to A&E.

Visit the NHS England website for further information for the public on industrial action.