How NHS strikes on Monday 6 February will affect you

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The NHS is bracing for its biggest strike yet. For the first time in this dispute, ambulance workers and nurses will walk out together in England on Monday.

The impact will also be bigger than on previous strike days because more hospital trusts are involved.

It won’t just affect emergency care – many non-urgent appointments and operations will be cancelled.

In Wales, the strike has been called off by the main ambulance union, the GMB, and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) union while they consider a new pay offer from the Welsh government.

But the Unite union, which also represents ambulance workers in Wales, says its strike will go ahead.

Upcoming strike action

FRI 3 FEB

Train drivers

  • Train drivers who are members of the Aslef union are on strike
  • Most train companies across England are affected
  • Disruption is also expected on some services between England and Scotland, and between England and Wales
  • Customers are encouraged to check their route before travelling

Read more: Train drivers to go on strike


Teachers in Scotland

  • Teachers in South Lanarkshire and Western Isles are on strike
  • Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) are taking action as part of an ongoing dispute over pay

Read more: Which schools will teachers’ strikes affect?


Bus drivers on strike

  • Bus drivers employed by Abellio in London are taking industrial action
  • The routes affected are mostly in south and west London
SAT 4 FEB

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

SUN 5 FEB

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

MON 6 FEB

Nurses in England

  • Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) are taking industrial action over pay
  • Life-preserving treatment must be provided, and all nurses in intensive and emergency care are expected to work

Read more: What do the strikes mean for patients?


Ambulance staff

  • Ambulance staff in the GMB and Unite unions are on strike in several regional services across England and in Northern Ireland
  • The strike affects non-life threatening calls only and people are advised to use the 999 service in an emergency

Read more: Why are ambulance staff striking?

TUE 7 FEB

Nurses in England on strike

  • Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) are taking industrial action over pay
  • Life-preserving treatment must be provided, and all nurses in intensive and emergency care are expected to work

Read more: What do the strikes mean for patients?

WED 8 FEB

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

THU 9 FEB

Physiotherapists take action

  • NHS physiotherapy staff across England are striking over pay and staffing
  • The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy says 4,200 members are involved

University staff

  • Thousands of staff at 150 universities across the UK are taking industrial action
  • Academic staff and those in other professional roles including administrators, librarians and technicians are involved

Read more: Why are university staff striking?

FRI 10 FEB

Ambulance staff

  • Thousands of ambulance staff across five services in England – London, Yorkshire, the South West, North East and North West – are striking
  • The strike affects non-life threatening calls only and people are advised to use the 999 service in an emergency

Read more: Why are ambulance staff striking?


University staff

  • Thousands of staff at 150 universities across the UK are taking industrial action
  • Academic staff and those in other professional roles including administrators, librarians and technicians are involved

Read more: Why are university staff striking?

SAT 11 FEB

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

SUN 12 FEB

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

MON 13 FEB

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

TUE 14 FEB

University staff

  • Thousands of staff at 150 universities across the UK are taking industrial action
  • Academic staff and those in other professional roles including administrators, librarians and technicians are involved

Read more: Why are university staff striking?


Teachers in Wales

  • Members of the National Education Union are on strike across the whole of Wales
  • Many schools will close altogether and classes in some others will not run

Read more: Wales school strikes: Will my school be affected?

WED 15 FEB

University staff

  • Thousands of staff at 150 universities across the UK are taking industrial action
  • Academic staff and those in other professional roles including administrators, librarians and technicians are involved

Read more: Why are university staff striking?

THU 16 FEB

Ambulance staff

  • Ambulance staff in the Unite union in Northern Ireland are on strike
  • The strike affects non-life threatening calls only and people are advised to use the 999 service in an emergency

Read more: Why are ambulance staff striking?


University staff

  • Thousands of staff at 150 universities across the UK are taking industrial action
  • Academic staff and those in other professional roles including administrators, librarians and technicians are involved

Read more: Why are university staff striking?

FRI 17 FEB

Ambulance staff

  • Ambulance staff in the Unite union in the West Midlands and in Northern Ireland are on strike
  • The strike affects non-life threatening calls only and people are advised to use the 999 service in an emergency

Read more: Why are ambulance staff striking?

SAT 18 FEB

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

SUN 19 FEB

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

MON 20 FEB

Ambulance staff

  • Ambulance staff in the Unite union in Wales and several regions of England are on strike
  • The strike affects non-life threatening calls only and people are advised to use the 999 service in an emergency

Read more: Why are ambulance staff striking?

TUE 21 FEB

Teachers in Northern Ireland

  • The majority of teachers in Northern Ireland are holding a half-day strike
  • Many schools across the country are not expected to open until after midday

Read more: NI teachers to walk out for half a day


University staff

  • Thousands of staff at 150 universities across the UK are taking industrial action
  • Academic staff and those in other professional roles including administrators, librarians and technicians are involved

Read more: Why are university staff striking?

WED 22 FEB

Ambulance staff

  • Ambulance staff in the Unite union in the North West region of England are on strike
  • The strike affects non-life threatening calls only and people are advised to use the 999 service in an emergency

Read more: Why are ambulance staff striking?


University staff

  • Thousands of staff at 150 universities across the UK are taking industrial action
  • Academic staff and those in other professional roles including administrators, librarians and technicians are involved

Read more: Why are university staff striking?

THU 23 FEB

Ambulance staff

  • Ambulance staff in the Unite union in Northern Ireland are on strike
  • The strike affects non-life threatening calls only and people are advised to use the 999 service in an emergency

Read more: Why are ambulance staff striking?


University staff

  • Thousands of staff at 150 universities across the UK are taking industrial action
  • Academic staff and those in other professional roles including administrators, librarians and technicians are involved

Read more: Why are university staff striking?

FRI 24 FEB

Ambulance staff

  • Ambulance staff in the Unite union in Northern Ireland are on strike
  • The strike affects non-life threatening calls only and people are advised to use the 999 service in an emergency

Read more: Why are ambulance staff striking?

SAT 25 FEB

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

SUN 26 FEB

There are currently no national strikes planned for this date

Nurses strikes

Members of the RCN are walking out over pay on Monday 6 February and Tuesday 7 February.

The RCN has said this is the biggest action so far, with more than a third of hospital trusts in England affected.

The union has about 300,000 members – roughly two-thirds of NHS nurses.

Welsh NHS staff have suspended strike action following an improved offer from ministers.

The RCN and GMB unions in Scotland have put strike action on hold to allow talks on a 2023 pay offer.

People with a hospital appointment in England should still go, unless they have been told otherwise, according to NHS advice.

Patients in hospital will be informed how their care will be affected on a ward-by-ward basis.

Intensive and emergency care will still be provided, but routine check-ups and other operations may be affected.

Services such as chemotherapy, kidney dialysis and intensive care will be staffed, but other care such as knee and hip replacements and hernia repair are likely to be affected.

GP practices will run as normal, and people should go to scheduled appointments.

Anyone who is seriously ill or injured should still call 999, or 111 for non-urgent care.

The nurses strikes on each day will last for 12 hours.

Ambulance workers

Ambulance staff in England are striking over pay on Monday, with further strike dates announced.

People should only call an ambulance if they are seriously ill or injured, and there is a risk to life.

The most life-threatening situations – such as cardiac arrest – will be sent an ambulance.

Conditions which are serious but not immediately life-threatening might not be immediately attended.

Calls – such as a woman in late-stage labour – will not be prioritised.

For other healthcare needs, the NHS advises calling 111, or using 111 online.

Ambulance strikes on 6, 17, 20, and 22 February, and 6 and 20 March will last for up to 26 hours.

The NHS said it was working with the armed forces “to ensure ambulance services are supported”.

Additional reporting by Tom Espiner

How are you affected by the strikes? Are you taking part in strike action? You can email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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