NHS leaders across the North East and North Cumbria are urging local residents to only use urgent care services when absolutely necessary, as resident doctors begin a planned five-day strike this Friday.

From 7 am on Friday 25 July until 7am on Wednesday 30 July, resident doctors - formerly known as junior doctors - will withdraw their services in pursuit of fairer pay and improved working conditions.

The strike is expected to affect emergency departments, urgent treatment centres, and non-urgent hospital appointments across the region.

All emergency and urgent services will remain operational, but staffing levels are expected to be significantly reduced.

NHS officials are appealing to the public to only call 999 or attend A&E for life-threatening emergencies.

For other urgent but non-critical issues, people are being asked to use NHS 111 online or by phone.

Scheduled Appointments: Many routine consultations, therapies, and non-urgent procedures may be rescheduled. Patients will be contacted directly if any changes affect their care. If you haven’t heard otherwise, you should attend your appointment as normal.
GP Surgeries and Pharmacies: These remain open as usual, offering essential advice, prescriptions, and basic care.
Mental Health and Community Services: Services will continue to operate, but delays may occur. For urgent mental health support, NHS 111 remains available with a mental health option.

Dr. Neil O’Brien, Chief Medical Officer at the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “People can expect long delays and more disruption to NHS services during this latest period of industrial action.

“We really need the public’s help to only call 999 and attend emergency departments if it is a genuine life-threatening injury or illness, especially since our emergency departments and urgent care centres were extremely busy last time.”

He added that seasonal staffing pressures, including annual leave and junior doctor rotation gaps make planning even more difficult, resulting in fewer available staff to cover essential services.

This strike is part of a wider dispute across England, where approximately 50,000 resident doctors are taking industrial action to demand a fair pay settlement.

The British Medical Association claims that real-terms pay for junior doctors has fallen by up to 30% since 2008.

In contrast to previous strikes, NHS England is now attempting to maintain more routine care rather than cancelling all non-urgent services.

However, some healthcare professionals warn that this approach could stretch remaining staff too thin and compromise patient safety.

As industrial action unfolds, the message from NHS leaders is clear: help us help you by choosing the right care, at the right time, in the right place.