NHS organisations across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin are preparing for a period of national industrial action by resident doctors taking place from 7am on Tuesday 7 April until 7am on Monday 13 April 2026.
The action has been called by the British Medical Association (BMA) as part of an ongoing national dispute with Government over pay, conditions and employment. Resident doctors hold a mandate for industrial action until August 2026.
During this period, consultants, other specialist doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and wider NHS staff will continue to provide care, and our priority will be maintaining safe services, especially in emergency and life-saving care.
While we are working hard to minimise disruption, the strikes will affect NHS services across all local hospitals. We expect:
· Urgent and emergency services to remain open, with staffing focused on life-saving care.
· Routine appointments and procedures to continue wherever safe, but some may need to be rescheduled.
· Longer waits for some non-urgent services, due to fewer resident doctors being available.
If your appointment needs to be changed, you will be contacted directly. If you have not been contacted, please attend as normal.
Rachael Gallyot, Interim Chief Medical Officer for NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said:-
“Our priority remains keeping patients safe and maintaining access to urgent and emergency care. We recognise the pressure this industrial action places on our staff, who continue to work incredibly hard. We are grateful for the public’s support and patience, and for our teams’ ongoing commitment to caring for local people.”
Important information for patients:
· Continue to come forward for urgent and emergency care when seriously ill, injured or at risk.
· Use NHS 111 online as the first port of call for non-emergency health needs.
· Attend GP and dental appointments as normal, unless contacted by the practice.
· Support vulnerable family, friends and neighbours during this period.
· Community pharmacies remain open. Only call 999 in life-threatening emergencies.
During previous resident doctor strikes, the NHS has kept almost 95% of planned routine care running, thanks to the dedication of staff across the country. We will continue to do everything possible to protect patient care.
Further information about NHS services during industrial action can be found on the NHS England website: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/information-for-the-public-on-industrial-action/
