The NHS has issued a new alert as many hospital doctors prepare to take industrial action next week.

Resident doctors are set to stage a six-day strike in England next month following the collapse of negotiations between the union, the British Medical Association (BMA), and the government. The BMA said it was taking action as the government had not done enough to address their pay claims and concerns about job shortages. The strike will commence at 7am on Tuesday, April 7, immediately following the Easter bank holiday weekend.

This will be the 15th walkout since March 2023. While some NHS contingency plans are being implemented, it appears some disruption will be inevitable.

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A post from the official NHS X account on Thursday reads: "Strike action starts from 7am Tuesday 7 April and runs until 7am Monday 13 April. Some NHS services will be affected. You will be contacted if your appointment needs to be changed.

"Please continue to come forward for the care you need. We'll only cancel if absolutely necessary and if needed, we'll be in touch to reschedule."

Earlier this week the Prime Minister said the government would create 1,000 additional doctor training posts in England if the BMA agreed to call off the six-day strike. The extra posts were part of a broader package of measures put forward by ministers earlier this year to resolve the long-running dispute with resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors.

But the BMA ended the talks saying the deal "falls short".