Patients at Basildon University Hospital are being warned of potential service disruption as resident doctors represented by the British Medical Association prepare for a six-day strike starting on 7 April 2026. The industrial action, which is scheduled to run until 6.59am on 13 April 2026, is expected to impact care across the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which provides services for over 1.2 million people in the region.
The hospital trust has confirmed that some planned operations and outpatient appointments will need to be cancelled to ensure patient safety during the walkout. Patients should continue to attend their appointments as planned unless they are contacted directly by the hospital with information regarding a change. The trust is currently working to re-arrange any postponed care as quickly as possible.
While the Emergency Department at Basildon will remain open to provide care for life-threatening conditions, officials at NHS England have warned that patients should expect significantly longer waiting times than usual. For medical concerns that are not emergencies, residents are encouraged to use NHS 111 services rather than attending the hospital in person.
The upcoming strike follows the collapse of pay negotiations between the government and the union. The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has faced significant challenges due to previous industrial action, with nearly 30,000 appointments having been rescheduled across the trust since December 2022. The decision to proceed with this latest action follows the expiration of a deadline set by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had threatened to withdraw thousands of specialty training posts if the strike went ahead.
Despite the disruption, NHS England expects hospital trusts to maintain 95% of their normal activity levels, with a focus on prioritising emergency care, cancer services, and patients who have been waiting the longest for elective procedures.
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