Hospital consultants at Oxford University Hospitals will be taking part in industrial action for the first time from tomorrow.

From tomorrow (Thursday, July 20) hospital consultants will walk out of Oxford University Hospitals and take part in industrial action until 7am on Saturday (July 22).

The Oxford University Hospitals affected include the John Radcliffe Hospital, the Churchill Hospital, the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

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The industrial action means that elective inpatient and day case procedures will have to be rescheduled but urgent and emergency care will continue to be provided.

Sara Randall, Chief Operating Officer at Oxford University Hospitals, said: "We recognise and respect the right of our staff to take part in lawful industrial action, and have been working with our staff and union partners over the past months and incidences of industrial action to ensure the safety of our patients, and the wellbeing of our staff.

"Our urgent and emergency care services are likely to be affected by the upcoming industrial action in terms of waiting times.

“Our Emergency Department colleagues are working exceptionally hard and have to prioritise patients who genuinely need emergency care.”

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Ms Randall said staff were working “extremely hard” during what was a “challenging time”.

She advised people who don’t know where to get support to contact the NHS on 111 and then advice can be given on where is the best place to get the care required.

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