Patients at hospitals managed by the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, including those in Colchester, are being advised to attend their appointments as planned unless they are contacted directly by the hospital. This comes as resident doctors prepare for a six-day walkout starting at 7am on 7 April 2026, which is expected to last until 6.59am on 13 April 2026.
The upcoming industrial action is part of a national dispute regarding pay and working conditions between the government and the British Medical Association. This walkout marks the 15th round of such action since March 2023 and represents the joint-longest strike in the history of the national health service.
Adrian Marr, the interim chief executive of the trust, has confirmed that the organisation has tried and tested plans in place to manage the disruption. He stated that the focus remains on ensuring that patients and hospital services remain safe and that the quality of care provided during the strike is maintained as effectively as possible.
The latest round of action follows the rejection of a government offer that included a 3.5% pay award, as well as reimbursements for exam fees and the creation of thousands of additional specialty training posts. Following the rejection of this offer, Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed that a separate offer to create 1,000 additional specialty training posts had been withdrawn.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the union’s resident doctors committee, noted that negotiations had been ongoing in good faith before the current impasse. While the strike proceeds, NHS England has confirmed that emergency services will remain fully available to the public throughout the period.
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