PATIENTS in Herefordshire requiring urgent and emergency care "will continue to received the treatment they need" during the forthcoming junior doctor strikes.

The reassurance has come from David Farnsworth, the executive lead nurse at Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, who said health and care organisations across the county are working hard to ensure "robust plans" are in place ahead of the planned walkouts over the coming weeks.

The first is set to began next Tuesday (1st) when junior doctors will provide "emergency care only" for 24 hours.

Full walkouts from 8am to 5pm are then planned for December 8 and December 16.

The strike action follows a ballot by the British Medical Association and is in response to a proposed change to hospital doctors' working contracts as part of a series of changes aimed at increasing the range of services available seven days a week.

"The dispute is in relation to the government's response to pay and terms and conditions for junior doctors," said Mr Farnsworth.

"It is not a dispute with NHS Trusts as employers.

"Our hospitals in Herefordshire are currently working with their senior clinical leaders in developing and refining planning, to ensure all inpatients including the delivery/maternity ward, as well as emergency and urgent admissions and emergency department are looked after safely and appropriately during any industrial action."

Mr Farnsworth said patients in need of urgent and emergency care "will continue to receive the treatment they need, when they need it", but warned those in less urgent need of care may experience longer waiting times because of the expected pressure on the NHS during the period.

"We know how important our services are to many people in Herefordshire and beyond and we apologise for any services that will be affected due to the industrial action," he said.

"We hope people understand that, although this action is not due to our making, we need to ensure that people who need urgent or emergency care will get it.

"Where these disruptions are likely to occur in local hospitals, Wye Valley NHS Trust is in the process of contacting patients to alert them."

When industrial action takes place, the NHS Trust says it will keep its website posted with details of which services are affected at wyevalley.nhs.uk