NHS strikes to cause major disruption, Yorkshire patients warned

Hospital consultants began a two-day strike on Monday

Yorkshire patients have been warned NHS services will be "significantly impacted" as consultants and junior doctors strike in unison for the first time.

The NHS said it would be reduced to "Christmas day levels of staffing" during the walkout of British Medical Association members.

Limited emergency care will be provided but other services will shut.

Ministers have previously said the co-ordination of strikes was "callous".

Hospital consultants in England began a two-day strike at 07.00 BST on Tuesday.

They will be joined on Wednesday by junior doctors, who will start three days of industrial action.

Dr James Thomas, medical director at the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, said staff "will be working throughout the strike period to keep people safe and well but services will be affected".

"Our region's hospitals and mental health trusts will be significantly impacted, as will some GP practices, and this will have a knock on effect on other parts of the healthcare system," he added.

Dr Thomas said it was "important that people continue to use our services when they need them" and patients should still attend any booked appointments unless they have heard otherwise.

Simon Nearney, director of workforce for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, said the impact of hundreds of doctors walking out "cannot be underestimated."

"We've never seen doctors take this type of coordinated industrial action in the health service before, so this does give us cause for concern and will understandably concern our patients too," he said.

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said it would be re-arranging postponed appointments "as a priority".

It added it was "vital that people do not put off seeking care" in an emergency.

NHS national medical director professor Sir Stephen Powis said the service "has simply never seen this kind of industrial action in its history".

"This week's first ever joint action means almost all planned care will come to a stop, and hundreds of thousands of appointments will be postponed, which is incredibly difficult for patients and their families, and poses an enormous challenge for colleagues across the NHS," he added.