Ahead of an unprecedented double-whammy of NHS strike action on Monday, North East health leaders have called on the public to again think carefully before calling 999 or heading to A&E.
Emergency and urgent care units will remain open, and ambulance service staff are set to again operate "life and limb" cover - but with the first of two consecutive days of action from nurses in the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) coinciding with action from the GMB's ambulance staff, staffing pressure in the NHS is likely to be extreme. Patients have again been told to expect delays.
RCN nurses at Newcastle Hospitals, Gateshead Health, Northumbria Healthcare and the County Durham and Darlington NHS trusts are all walking out on Monday - as are RCN and GMB staff at the North East Ambulance Service. The nursing strike will also last through Tuesday. The ambulance service will then see further walkouts on February 10 involving UNISON members.
