Radiology strike action: Hospital patients advised to attend their appointment

Patients booked to attend a hospital radiology appointment at one of the hospitals run by The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust on Monday 20 October 2014 are being advised to attend their appointment, such as an x-ray, MR or CT scan, as normal unless they have been contacted directly by the Trust and advised of alternative arrangements.

The Trust, which runs North Manchester General Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, The Royal Oldham Hospital and Rochdale Infirmary, is planning to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum for the second day of industrial action by healthcare workers.

The proposed strike by members of The Society of Radiographers' will take place for four hours on Monday 20 October 2014 between 9am and 1pm.

Radiography includes X-ray, CT scans, MRI scans, ultrasound, nuclear medicine and breast imaging services. Emergency care and cancer services will continue to be provided during the strike hours. If any radiology appointments have to be postponed or changed, patients will be informed.

Last week, in total 244 staff employed by the Trust (out of 9,000 staff) took the decision to take part in the industrial action for all or part of the morning. This included some nurses and midwives, estates staff and medical secretaries and admin clerical staff. Careful planning helped minimise disruption to patients and their families.

Hugh Mullen, Director of operations at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We have plans in place to ensure we can continue to see and treat patients who are booked to attend a radiology appointment on Monday at our hospitals. We do not plan to cancel any patient appointments. Our radiographers will continue to provide a service to patients attending A&E as emergencies and we do not plan to cancel any clinics or theatre lists. If you have a radiology appointment and are planning to come in for a scan or x-ray at any of our hospitals, please continue to attend unless you are contacted directly by the Trust. Emergency life-saving care will again be our priority; our A&E departments, our operating theatres and cancer services will be unaffected.”