Patients at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital are being urged to use services carefully as resident doctors prepare for a six-day strike starting on Tuesday 7 April 2026. The industrial action, organised by the British Medical Association, is scheduled to run from 7am on Tuesday until 6.59am on Monday 13 April.
The Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which operates the hospital, has confirmed that while consultants and specialist doctors will remain on duty to maintain patient safety, the walkout will result in fewer doctors being available throughout the week. NHS England expects trusts to work towards maintaining approximately 95 per cent of normal activity levels during the period.
The strike is part of a long-running pay dispute that began in March 2023, marking the 15th walkout by resident doctors. The British Medical Association is seeking pay restoration to 2008 levels, which they estimate is equivalent to a 26 per cent pay rise. The government had offered a 4.9 per cent average basic pay increase and additional training posts, but these talks have stalled.
Following the union’s decision to proceed with the strike, the government has withdrawn an offer to create 1,000 extra doctor training posts. This decision came after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer set a 48-hour deadline earlier in the week for the industrial action to be cancelled.
During the six-day strike, local residents are asked to only attend the Emergency Department if they are facing a life-threatening emergency. For non-urgent health concerns, the public is encouraged to use NHS 111 online. Additionally, the trust has asked families to help support the discharge of relatives from hospital as soon as they are medically ready to return home.
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