Patients at Great Western Hospital in Swindon are facing significant disruption to medical services due to a planned six-day strike by resident doctors. The industrial action, organised by the British Medical Association, is set to begin at 7.00am on Tuesday 7 April and continue until 6.59am on Monday 13 April 2026.
The hospital has warned that the walkout will likely result in appointment cancellations and significantly longer waiting times in the Emergency Department and the Urgent Treatment Centre. Residents who have appointments during this period are advised that they will be contacted directly by the hospital if their care needs to be rescheduled. Anyone who has not been contacted should plan to attend their appointment as normal.
This strike is the latest development in an ongoing national dispute between the government and the union regarding pay and working conditions. While the government maintains that resident doctors have received a 28.9 percent pay rise over the past three years, the union argues that pay remains 20 percent lower than 2008 levels when adjusted for inflation. A recent government proposal, which included a 3.5 percent pay increase and exam fee reimbursement, was rejected by the union on 24 March 2026.
In response to the union’s decision to proceed with the strikes, Prime Minister Keir Starmer withdrew an offer that would have provided up to 4,500 additional specialty training places. As a result, the 1,000 extra training posts originally planned for April 2026 have now been cancelled. The Great Western Hospital is one of several facilities across the South West affected by the walkout, alongside services at Salisbury District Hospital and the Royal United Hospital in Bath.
Health officials are urging members of the public to use NHS 111 online first if they require medical assistance during the strike period. Using this service may help patients find the most appropriate care more quickly than attending the hospital in person during the period of industrial action.
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