The NHS in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) has issued advice for patients ahead of a five-day resident doctors’ strike, which starts later this week.

Resident doctors will be on strike from 7am on Friday 14 November to 7am on Wednesday 19 November 2025.

Professor Damian Roland, clinical lead for urgent and emergency care for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland health and care system, said: “The local health and care system has been working together and has well-established plans in place to make sure patients can continue to get the care they need during the strike action. People should continue to contact the NHS straight away if they need help, including GP practices which aren’t affected by the strikes. We want people to continue to attend any planned medical appointments, unless we have let you know they have been rescheduled.

“The local NHS launched a new campaign in September which describes a two-step process for getting the right care, in the right place – called Need Help Fast? During the strikes, this advice has never been more important as services that are already busy, will be even busier than normal.”

Need Help Fast?

There are two simple steps the NHS would like people to take when they need help quickly, but it isn’t life-threatening – including during the strikes.

  • Step 1: Try to manage the problem yourself or get help from a local pharmacy, NHS 111 online, or the NHS App.
  • Step 2: If that doesn’t work, or the problem is more serious, contact your GP practice or NHS 111 (when your GP practice is closed). They will help book you the right appointment in the right place. This could be at your own GP practice, a pharmacy (through the Pharmacy First scheme), an urgent treatment centre, or another GP practice or health centre (during evenings, weekends and bank holidays).

If it’s a life-threatening emergency, people should go to the emergency department or call 999. If you go to the emergency department and it isn’t the right place for you, you may be asked to use another service instead.

In a mental health crisis, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option, or visit a Neighbourhood Mental Health Cafe. You can also text 0748 063 5199 for a response within four hours.

People can find out more about the two steps by visiting https://leicesterleicestershireandrutland.icb.nhs.uk/need-help-fast/

The local NHS has issued these additional tips ahead of the strikes:

  1. If you do need medical help, come forward straight away.
  2. Please attend any planned medical appointments as normal. The NHS will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled.
  3. If you take regular prescribed medication, do continue taking it as recommended to prevent your condition deteriorating. Remember to take your medication with you if you are going away. Order any medication you need in good time so you don’t run out. You can now use the NHS App for this and can arrange to collect your medication from any pharmacy.
  4. GP practices are not affected by the strikes and will be open as normal. Their opening core hours are Monday to Friday from 8am to 6:30pm, excluding bank holidays. Many practices are open later in the evening and at weekends.
  5. Where you can, use the NHS App or the form on your practice’s website to make requests from your GP practice, at a convenient time for you – for example for requesting appointments, ordering repeat prescriptions and viewing your health record or correspondence.

For further information, visit: https://leicesterleicestershireandrutland.icb.nhs.uk/need-help-fast/ or the NHS’s autumn and winter advice page.