Tomorrow (Wednesday 11th January) will see industrial (strike) action by the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS). There will be fewer ambulances on the roads during industrial action, with the NHS prioritising those with life-threatening needs.
Please only call 999 if it is a medical or mental health emergency - when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. Ambulances will still be able to respond in these situations, but this may only be where there is an immediate risk to life.
During industrial action, NHS 111 call centres will have fewer staff and longer call response times are expected. For this reason, people are advised to seek help from NHS 111 online, unless their call relates to a child under 5 or they do not have internet access.
Please check that you have sufficient supply of regular medicines. Order repeat prescriptions via your GP practice or local pharmacy and leave plenty of time as they may be busy. Please avoid using NHS 111 for this purpose. Please look at alternative options available for accessing NHS services if your condition is not urgent. Pharmacy teams can give advice on managing everyday illnesses, or you can find self-care advice online at www.nhs.uk.
You will be contacted if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action. If you have not been contacted, please attend your appointment as planned.
For further infromation see the NWAS website.