Industrial Action

Services continuing:

• The Phone First service will open on Wednesday 22nd May from 9am – 9pm and on Thursday 23^rd May from 9am – 9pm. Please phone first before travelling to our EDs with less urgent symptoms. Tel: 0300 123 3 111.
• South Tyrone Minor Injuries Service is open on Wednesday 22nd May and on Thursday 23^rd
• Consider if your condition could be treated by your pharmacist or GP. If symptoms cannot wait until your GP reopens, call Out of Hours Tel: 028 3839 9201.
• For help choosing the right service:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/…/how-use-your-health-services 

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/camp…/illnesses-and-conditions

Impacts to services:

• Outpatient Appointments: 275 postponed
• Theatres: 33 surgeries postponed

Red flag patients have been re-scheduled to the next available appointment slots.

Any appointments that have been cancelled have or will be rescheduled as soon as feasible.

The safety of our patients and service users remains our priority.

We appeal for public support in ensuring that we are able to care for those who need us most.

Thank you for your continued help and understanding.

Whilst we are working hard to prepare and maintain safe services where we can, we expect major disruption on Wednesday 6 March and the subsequent days, as we seek to recover from the impact of planned industrial action by Junior Doctors.

Our message to patients and service users is that you should attend your appointment unless you are contacted by the Trust to advise otherwise.

Only come to our Emergency Departments if you have serious symptoms that need hospital care and phone 999 if the patient is acutely unwell. Please be aware that it may be busier and you will have to wait longer. Patients will be seen in order of clinical priority.

There are also significant numbers of patients in beds in our wards who are medically fit for discharge. We are asking for public support to help ensure that the sickest patients get the care they need. It is essential that patients leave hospital when they are discharged by the doctor and that families take their loved one home as soon as they are medically fit.

Our staff will be working under enormous pressure so please understand and be kind to them.

Services continuing:

• The Phone First service will open on Wednesday 6^th March from 9am – 9pm. Please phone first before travelling to our EDs with less urgent symptoms. Tel: 0300 123 3 111.
• South Tyrone Minor Injuries Service is open on Wednesday 6^th March
• Consider if your condition could be treated by your pharmacist or GP. If symptoms cannot wait until your GP reopens, call Out of Hours Tel: 028 3839 9201.
• For help choosing the right service:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/…/how-use-your-health-services 

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/camp…/illnesses-and-conditions

Impacts to services:

• Outpatient Appointments: 175 postponed
• Endoscopy Investigations: 10 postponed
• Theatres: 10 surgeries postponed and all elective caesareans

The safety of our patients and service users remains our priority.

We appeal for public support in ensuring that we are able to care for those who need us most.

All postponed appointments and procedures will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Thank you for your continued help and understanding.

We anticipate widespread disruption as a result of industrial action by members of NIPSA, UNISON, Unite, Society of Radiographers (SOR), Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and Royal College of Midwives (RCM) on Thursday 21 and Friday 22 September 2023.

Click here to read Department of Health statement

The safety of our patients and staff remains our top priority. Whilst strike action will end at Friday midnight, the impact is likely to be felt on all of our services into the weekend.

We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause patients, service users and families.

• Urgent Care Centre / Phone First / Emergency Departments

Please be aware that our hospitals, like the wider health care system, are extremely busy. Our Emergency Departments at Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital remain open however it is expected that they will be under pressure with long waits expected. Where possible, individuals should avoid attendance unless they feel they are in need of urgent attention.

Please ‘Phone First’ before travelling to our EDs or Minor Injuries (9am – 9pm) on 0300 123 3111.

• Discharges

There are also significant numbers of patients in beds in our wards who are medically fit for discharge. We are asking for public support to help ensure that the sickest patients get the care they need. It is essential that patients leave hospital when they are discharged by the doctor and that families take their loved one home as soon as they are medically fit.

• Outpatients appointments and surgery

Where cancellations have been necessary, patients will have been notified directly.

If you have an appointment at one of our hospitals or any of our community facilities, please attend unless you hear from us.

• Impact on other Trust services

There is some disruption to provision on day care services. Families have been notified of this in advance.

Domiciliary care services will be affected however Trust Home Care have been in touch with families and carers in relation to any impact on care.

We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause patients, service users and families. Any disruption will be communicated here.

• CYSP
  • 14 cancelled appointments
  • 8 respite shifts cancelled within the CCN service
  • 6 Community Dental Service GA appointments

Cancelled appointments will be rebooked as soon as possible

• Acute
  • 112 outpatient appointments cancelled
  • 6 Elective surgeries cancelled

Cancelled appointments will be rebooked as soon as possible

• ACS
  • *UPDATE* With the pause on planned strike action on Monday 3 April by RCM, UNISON and NIPSA, dom care calls will be proceeding as normal. 
  • 205 referrals across Access and Information, Acute Care at Home and within Integrated Care Teams not going ahead.
  • Treatment Rooms impacted
  • District Nursing Teams will be operating essential and urgent calls only
  • Domiciliary Care will be working on a reduced basis
• MHD
  • Woodlawn House closed
  • Day Opportunities and Forensic Day Opportunities closed
  • Limited Day Care service
  • 10 appointments/referrals cancelled  and 90 not booked in anticipation of strike
• Support Services
  • All staff Dining Rooms closed
  • Post Room at CAH and St Luke’s closed.
  • Reduced level of cleaning and delivery of linen.

There may be reduced outpatient reception cover or in other areas of admin.

Acute

• Our Emergency Departments at Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital remain open however it is expected that they will be under pressure with long waits expected. Where possible, individuals should avoid attendance unless they feel they are in need of urgent attention.
• Pharmacy services will be working on a reduced service.
• 171 outpatient appointments cancelled across Craigavon, Daisy Hill and St Luke’s sites.
• 17 day cases cancelled while eight were not booked in anticipation of strike action
• 24 surgeries cancelled

Children’s Services:

• Children’s Community Nursing – four respite shifts cancelled
• Two Autism service appointments cancelled and in process of being rebooked.

Adult Community Services:

• Domiciliary care provided by the Trust Home Care Service is expected to be affected.
• Reablement and Access and information service are affected
• Crozier Lodge Day Centre and Donard Day Centre are closed, with additional day having bene offered in lieu where possible to reduce impact.
• District Nursing treatment rooms will either be closed or have reduced staffing levels.

Mental Health and Learning Disability

• Day Opportunities and Forensic Day Opportunities groups will be closed
• Six service users short break delayed by 48 hours
• Day Care closed
• 26 cancelled appointments across mental health and disability division

Children’s Services  

• Children’s Community Nursing Service (CCN) – 12 respite visits cancelled, 1 school visit cancelled, 2 night shift respites starting later and 5 routine blood clinic appointments cancelled
• Autism Services – 5 routine appointments cancelled
• Speech and Language therapy – 18 appointments cancelled

Acute Services

• 22 outpatient appointments cancelled
• 23 surgery cancelled
• A number of elective caesarean appointments have been rescheduled for another date
• Laboratory staff will operate with capacity only for urgent samples.
• Pharmacy staff will operate a bank holiday service arrangement.

Mental Health and learning Disability

• All Learning Disability Day centres closed

Adult Community Services

• • There is disruption to services across ACS including District Nursing, Integrated Care Service (ICS) and Acute Care at Home
  • A total of 241 outpatient appointments have been cancelled, 233 are not going ahead due to reduced staffing
  • Domiciliary care provided by the Trust Home Care Service is expected to be affected. Whilst we will aim to attend our most vulnerable service users, we will not know the full impact of strike action until Thursday and we ask that you are patient as we work through this. We are appealing to families to make alternative arrangements where they can.

Tuesday 20^th December will be communicated here:

• The Phone First service will not be operational however will reopen at 9am on Wednesday 21^st December.
• The Minor Injuries Service at South Tyrone Hospital is also closed however will reopen at 9am on Wednesday 21^st December.
• Outpatients – 204 outpatients appointments have been cancelled. A number of outpatients appointments have not been booked in anticipation of the strike action across our Acute, Maternity and Older People and Primary Care Divisions.
• 28 Day cases and 9 inpatients cancelled
• Children’s and Young People’s Services: Pre-school immunisation clinic: cancelled and 22 New routine appointments cancelled.
• 448 appointments are also not going ahead due to services retracted to Christmas Day levels within our Older People and Primary Care division.
• PMHC: 3 reviews and 1 urgent reviews rescheduled.

Our Emergency Departments at Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital remain open however it is expected that they will be under pressure with long waits expected. Where possible, individuals should avoid attendance unless they feel they are in need of urgent attention.

We are currently in the process of making direct contact with our patients and service users, who will be impacted by strike action.  If you have not been contacted please assume that your care will proceed as planned.  We sincerely regret this disruption and would ask for your patience and cooperation at this challenging time.

• The Phone First service will not be operational however will reopen at 9am on Friday 16 December.
• The Minor Injuries Service at South Tyrone Hospital is also closed however will reopen at 9am on Friday 16 December.
• Outpatients – 183 outpatients appointments have been cancelled. A number of outpatients appointments have not been booked in anticipation of the strike action across our Acute, Maternity and Older People and Primary Care Divisions.
• 20 Day cases and 4 inpatients cancelled
• 317 appointments are also not going ahead due to services retracted to Christmas Day levels within our Older People and Primary Care division.
• PMHC: 30 reviews and 3 urgent reviews rescheduled

• Approximately 300 outpatient appointments have been postponed across our hospitals. Where possible, new appointments have already been allocated or will be allocated shortly.
• 50 inpatient and day case procedures postponed across our hospitals.
• All Older People’s Day Centres and Learning Disability Day Centres will be closed.
• Dining Rooms and Coffee Bars will be closed to ensure patients and service user meals are prioritised.
• We are aware that approximately 700 service users in receipt of homecare may not receive their scheduled calls, if it is delivered by the Trust’s Home Care Service.   We are asking for the help of family members and carers to assist us on Monday 12^th December.  Homecare delivered by our contracted providers are not expected to be affected.

• Monday 5 December to Sunday 11 December 2022
  Unison, NIPSA and GMB will take action short of strike

• Monday 12 December 2022
  Unison, NIPSA and GMB will take full strike action
  Unison, NIPSA and GMB will take action short of strike

• Monday 12 December to Sunday 18 December 2022
  NIPSA will take action short of strike

• Thursday 15 December 2022
  RCN will take full strike action

• Monday 19 December 2022
  Unison and NIPSA will take action short of strike

• Tuesday 20 December 2022
  RCN will take full strike action

• Tuesday 20 December to Sunday 1 January 2023
  NIPSA will take action short of strike