Patients in Luton are being warned to expect disruption at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital as resident doctors prepare for six days of national strike action. The walkout, organised by the British Medical Association, is set to begin at 7am on Tuesday 7 April and conclude at 6.59am on Monday 13 April 2026.
The industrial action is the latest in a long-running dispute over pay and training conditions, and is expected to be the longest strike of its kind since the action first began in March 2023. Negotiations between the union and the government recently stalled after the Resident Doctors Committee rejected a final offer that included a 3.5 per cent pay award and reforms to training and exam costs. Following the rejection, the government withdrew a proposal to create 1,000 additional specialist training places that had been conditional on accepting the deal.
During this period, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which manages the local hospital, is urging residents to use the NHS 111 service for non-emergency care. Officials have advised that patients should attend their appointments as planned unless they are contacted directly and asked to reschedule. While the trust aims to maintain 95 per cent of normal activity levels, they have warned that patients may face longer waiting times than usual.
The East of England Ambulance Service, which operates in the area, continues to manage significant pressure regarding 999 call volumes and hospital handover delays. Residents are asked to only attend the Emergency Department for life-threatening conditions to ensure the service remains available for those in the most urgent need.
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