Junior doctors at NCIC will participate in a national strike for 72 hours starting at 7 am tomorrow (Wednesday, June 14) until 7 am on Saturday (June 17).

If we have not contacted you via letter or phone call, please attend your appointment as planned. You will be contacted if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to the industrial action.

We appreciate this will be frustrating, however it is essential to allow us to focus on emergency care. All appointments will be rearranged as a priority.

Our priority is to keep our patients safe, therefore we putting extensive plans in place to minimise the impact of the action and to keep as many services running as possible.

Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is very important that anyone who needs urgent medical care continues to come forward, especially in emergency and life-threatening situations.

Dr Adrian Clements, Executive Medical Director at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, urged people to take care especially if they are doing DIY, having barbecues and swimming. He said: “If people are unwell then of course we are here to help, but we are also asking everyone to make sure they are well prepared by having a well-stocked medicine cabinet to treat any unexpected minor health concerns at home and by thinking carefully about the right NHS service for them if they do require medical help.

“One of the best things people can do is keep some basic medicines at home such as paracetamol, plasters, indigestion remedy and anti-diarrhoea medicine - you can ask your local pharmacist for advice on any other medicines you might need.

"Whether you’re working in the garden, tackling some DIY or taking part in outdoor activities please remember to do it safely – and this also includes taking care when drinking alcohol.

"Unfortunately, we often see many people turn up at A&E and emergency services with illness, injury, accidents because safety steps haven’t been taken and violence related incidents due to drinking too much. While we understand people want to enjoy themselves, we know they don’t want to spend their valuable time in A&E or hospital because they’ve over done it.”