15 December 2025

The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced that industrial action by resident doctors will take place across England from 7am on Wednesday 17 December 2025 until 7am on Monday 22 December. 

This action will impact services across all Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust sites. While our teams have tried and tested plans in place to protect safe patient care during industrial action, our services remain very busy and we need your help to ensure we keep the Emergency Department free for emergencies and patients ready for discharge are supported to leave hospital by their loved ones.

During the strike period, we will prioritise resources to continue delivering services as usual and minimise the cancellation of planned operations and appointments where possible.

Appointments: We plan to continue providing as much planned care as possible because we know how important this is for our patients. Please continue to attend any appointments you have, as staff will be doing what they can to ensure these continue. If we need to change anything, we will contact you directly.

Please continue to treat all our staff with respect and thank you for your support. 

Below you can find some further information including how you can help our teams: 

  • Our Emergency Department (ED) - if you have a life-threatening emergency, our ED remains open. If you are seriously ill or injured, or your life is at risk, please continue to seek urgent care. Patients who could be seen elsewhere, may be redirected to a more appropriate service for their needs. 
  • Patients ready for discharge - if you have a loved one or friend currently an inpatient with us and know they will be ready to leave shortly, please help our teams by ensuring they are ready to go home or their next place of care. This includes bringing in appropriate clothing to travel in, knowing who will be collecting them and checking they have anything they may need such as food or drink for when they get home. 
  • Accessing other services – GP surgeries, community pharmacies and Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs) will remain open as usual, so continue to use these as you would normally. NHS 111 will also be able to offer advice about which is the right service for your needs including concerns about urgent mental health support.
  • If you have an unwell child or are pregnant and need non-urgent advice – you can get help and advice on a range on common conditions from the Healthier Together website or download the app for free. NHS 111 Online can also help with advice for children over the age of 5, if they are under 5 years, please call NHS 111 if you are unsure.
  • Self-care - a well-stocked first-aid kit could help you to self-care at home. Useful items include paracetamol and aspirin, re-hydration remedies, antiseptic cream, plasters, and antihistamines.