Patients in Warrington and Halton are being advised to prepare for significant service disruptions as resident doctors begin six days of strike action next week. The walkout, organised by the British Medical Association, is set to run from 7am on Tuesday 7 April until 6.59am on Monday 13 April 2026.
This industrial action will affect the newly formed North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust, which was created following the merger of local hospital and community health services on 1 April 2026. Resident doctors make up almost half of the hospital medical workforce, providing critical support in areas such as accident and emergency, theatres, and the management of patient admissions and discharges.
The strike coincides with the busy Easter Bank Holiday weekend and the Grand National Festival, events that typically see a surge in demand for local healthcare services. Officials have warned that the combination of reduced staffing and increased public activity will place major pressure on the trust, which serves over 1 million residents.
The trust is urging members of the public to use the NHS 111 service or the NHS App for any non-emergency medical needs during the strike period. Residents are asked to visit accident and emergency departments only if they are facing a serious or life-threatening emergency. Patients who have existing medical appointments should attend them as normal unless they are contacted directly by the trust and told otherwise.
The current industrial action follows the rejection of a government pay and jobs offer by the union. The proposal included a 3.5% pay award for 2026/27 and the creation of thousands of specialty training posts. Following the decision to strike, the government withdrew the offer of 1,000 of those training positions.
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