The Belfast Trust will not answer any calls made to switchboard on Thursday, it has been confirmed.
It comes as thousands of health workers across Northern Ireland will take to the picket lines tomorrow in a row over pay and conditions. In a statement issued by the Trust this afternoon, a spokesperson confirmed details around their switchboard service.
"Due to strike action there will be major disruption to our switchboard from 12:01am to 11:59pm on Thursday 26 January 2023," they said.
Read more: NI health workers staging 24 hour walk-out over cost of living pay increase
"Regrettably, calls to switchboard will not be answered during these times. Once again, we are sorry for the inconvenience we know this will cause."
Workers with the unions, Nipsa, Unison, Unite and the GMB, are staging the action. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service says it has engaged with Trade Union representatives "to identify services and roles that will be exempt from strike action to ensure that a response continues to the most clinically urgent patients, thereby balancing the right to strike with patient safety".
Their statement continued: "NIAS anticipates that there will be challenges throughout the day and have planned to maintain the safety of those patients whose need is greatest. The impact of the action will be felt most on those patients calling NIAS whose need is less clinically urgent.
"We anticipate that there will be lengthy delays in responding to these categories of calls. To ensure that we maintain the levels of cover required to respond to the most urgent calls, we would ask the public to call us only in life-threatening emergencies such as cardiac arrest, loss of consciousness, breathing difficulties, severe bleeding and others.
"We would also ask that, having placed a 999 call, the public should resist calling back to check on the arrival time of the ambulance. The ambulance will arrive at the earliest opportunity and calling back repeatedly can block lines into the Control centre for other emergencies. We stress that ambulances will still be available, however, they will be limited and we will prioritise patients with life-threatening injuries or illnesses.
"Callers should not hesitate to call 999 in the case of serious illness or injury, but other callers should consider other options including self-care, seeking GP or Pharmacy advice or presenting themselves to Emergency Departments. This day of industrial action will impact all services provided by NIAS including Non- Emergency Transport, Emergency and non-Emergency Control Centres as well as Administration and Support Services.
"NIAS respects the right of our staff who are union members to participate in industrial action. This action is being taken in relation to the national issues of pay and conditions and is a matter for the Government and Trade Unions."
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