Planned surgery will be cancelled at local hospitals if junior doctors strike

A number of patients at Watford hospital will have their appointments and surgery postponed if junior doctors decided to take strike action. Junior doctors have planned to strike from Tuesday, January 12 at 8am to Wednesday, January 13 8am. A statement from West Hertfordshire Hospitals Trust, covering Watford General Hospital and St Albans City Hospital, said: “Making sure our ward patients as well as urgent and emergency admissions are looked after safely during this industrial action has been our number one priority, following national guidance from NHS England and the Trust Development Authority. “Having worked hard with our senior clinical leaders to put in place our business continuity plans, we’re pleased to report that the majority of our services will run tomorrow. “However, we are asking patients to please bear with us if their care and treatment takes us more time than usual. “We have written to a small number of patients apologising that if the strike goes ahead their appointments or planned surgery will be postponed for safety reasons. “We also ask patients not to call us as we will be in touch to rearrange their appointments as soon as possible. Our website will remain updated.”