THE local NHS in Hertfordshire and west Essex says people should still seek care as usual during collective action by GP services.

GP services across England began collective action on Thursday 1 August for an indefinite period. While there may be some disruption to services practices remain open as usual and patients can make requests by phone, on-line or by walking in.

During collective action, practices will be open during the usual hours. Please check your practice website for information about opening times.

It is vital that patients still attend their appointments unless they are told otherwise, and your practice should inform you of any changes to services.

The nature of the action means that the impacts will vary at different GP practices and from area to area but could include GPs limiting the number of patient appointments per day. Please check your practice’s website for information about any changes to the service that your practice is providing and how to get help if you need it.  

NHS teams have worked hard to plan for disruption and to mitigate this where possible to ensure services continued to be provided for patients.

Patients should continue to use 111 for urgent medical help when their GP practice is unavailable and call 999 if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency.