There are a number of staff from various departments across the Trust who will be taking part in the industrial action on Wednesday, 30 November 2011 across the whole of the country.  We are working very hard to minimise disruption to patients and ensure services are safe.  Where services have had to be postponed, the affected patients have been notified and plans are in place to ensure these appointments are rescheduled as soon as possible.

The following changes have been made to services:

  • The majority of outpatient appointments remain unaffected however any prescription issued at the clinic will not be able to be dispensed at the hospital pharmacy and must be taken to a local community pharmacy.   North East Ambulance Service has unfortunately had to reduce its Patient Transport Service and any patient who would normally travel to hospital by ambulance should have been contacted by the Ambulance Service.
  • Only emergency operating sessions will be held.
  • The Staff/Public Dining Rooms at both Sunderland Royal Hospital and Sunderland Eye Infirmary will be closed.  The WRVS facilities on both these sites will be open as normal.   Patient food services are unaffected.
  • The Trust’s main switchboard will be operating with reduced staff and callers may wait longer than we would ideally like for their call to be answered.  Wherever possible we would ask that patients and the public try to postpone calls into the hospital until Thursday, 1 December 2011.   Key direct dial lines are:
    • Outpatient appointments – 0191 541 0101. 
    • Wards – Most wards have direct lines which can be accessed by dialling 0191 569 97 and then the ward number.  For example Ward C34 can be contacted on 0191 569 9734.  Please note the following exceptions however:
      • Ward D48 – 0191 541 0248
      • Ward E58 – 0191 541 0258

Many other direct lines are listed on the Trust’s website at:

http://www.chsft.nhs.uk/ourservices/atoz/

We hope that disruption will be minimal and the vast majority of doctors and nurses are unaffected by this industrial action and we ask the public to bear with us as we deal with an exceptional situation that is affecting the whole of the public sector.