PEOPLE across Cheshire and Merseyside are being urged to use NHS 111 for all non-emergency healthcare needs ahead of industrial action by resident doctors (previously known as junior doctors). 

Unions have announced a full walkout of resident doctors from:- 7am on Friday, 14 November to 7am on Wednesday, 19 November 2025. 

Strike action will create major challenges for NHS staff who are already managing increased demand for urgent and emergency care.

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Medical Director, Professor Rowan Pritchard Jones, is urging people to use NHS 111 for all non-emergency healthcare needs.

The NHS 111 service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can call, go online or use the NHS App to find out:- 

• Where to get help for your symptoms.
• How to find general health information and advice 
• Where to get an emergency supply of your prescribed medicine. 
• How to get a repeat prescription How to get an emergency dental appointment. 

If needed, NHS 111 can also arrange a call back from a nurse, doctor or paramedic or an appointment at the most appropriate local service including local pharmacies, urgent treatment centres, GP practices or A&E. 

You can use these links to find more information about:-

• when to call 999.
• when to go to A&E. 

The NHS will continue to deliver planned care where possible, especially for patients in greatest clinical need. You should attend any planned appointments unless contacted directly by the NHS to reschedule.

Local NHS services will be using their websites and social media channels to provide up-to-date information to the public about local service disruption – so please check before you travel. 

Professor Jones said:- "The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to mitigate risks to patient safety and manage any disruption, including industrial action, but inevitably a walkout on this scale will lead to significant service disruption. You should still call:- 999 or go to A&E in an emergency when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. But if you need urgent medical help and you're not sure where to go, use NHS 111 online to get assessed and directed to the right place for you”.

Professor Jones is also urging  people to support the safe and timely discharge of loved ones who are ready to leave hospital. 

Almost half of all hospital doctors are resident doctors. You will see resident doctors working in almost every part of a busy hospital, including A&E.

They might diagnose you or put you under anaesthetic, write prescriptions, support the process of admission and discharge, maintain the flow of patients through the hospital and ensure beds are available for those who need them the most.