Resident doctors, who mainly work in hospitals, have voted to go ahead with this week’s five-day strike.
It is due to begin at 7am on Wednesday (17 December).
British Medical Association (BMA) resident doctors are currently in dispute with government over pay and conditions.
This round of industrial action comes as the NHS is managing the busy winter period. Flu cases are surging and hospitals are entering the most pressured time of the year.
During these strikes, all other NHS staff (including consultants and other specialist doctors) will still be working, and the focus of the NHS will be on ensuring as many services as possible continue to operate safely.
Some disruption to routine hospital appointments is expected, though the NHS says people should attend any appointments as planned – unless they are told otherwise.
Patients who need urgent medical care are being urged to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and serious life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.
The NHS is asking people to “choose the right care, from the right place”.
This means using pharmacies and GP practices for routine health and medical needs, calling NHS 111 if it’s more urgent and dialling 999 in an emergency.
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