The Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust has released advice ahead of upcoming industrial action by junior doctors.

The British Medical Association’s junior doctors committee unanimously voted for strike dates in December and January following five weeks of negotiations with the government.

The Northern Care Alliance, which runs Fairfield General Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, and Salford Royal has said it will contact directly any affected patients, with those not contacted asked to attend appointments as planned.

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A trust communications officer said: “As per all previous episodes of industrial action, organisations do not know the true impact and the numbers of staff members on strike until the day itself.

“All guidance for our patients regarding industrial action can be found on our website here: https://www.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk/news/nca-news/industrial-action.

“Any further updates on the strike will also be on our website.”

The industrial action will run from 7am on Wednesday, December 20 until 7am on Saturday, December 23.

This will be followed by six days of action from 7am on Wednesday, January 3 until 7am on Tuesday, January 9 next year.

In a statement, BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said: “the government was unable to present a credible offer on pay by the deadline.

“Instead, we were offered an additional three per cent, unevenly spread across doctors’ grades, which would still amount to pay cuts for many doctors this year”.

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The offer was on top of the average 8.8 per cent increase junior doctors were given in the summer.

On Tuesday, December 5, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said the government would “immediately look to come back to the table” if the junior doctors’ strikes were called off, warning that the strikes would ‘risk patient safety’.

BMA deputy chair Dr Emma Runswick responded to the health secretary, adding: “As with all other strike action taken by junior doctors, those doctors not taking industrial action - consultants, specialty and specialist doctors, as well as non-striking junior doctors, can provide cover ensuring that urgent and emergency care can continue to run.”

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