NHS officials in southeast London have appealed to people to only use A&E for real emergencies with the junior doctors’ strike putting hospitals under serious strain.

Hospitals in the region have been “severely impacted” by the six-day strike, according to the South East London Integrated Care Service (ICS), which coordinates NHS services in Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Bexley, Bromley and Lambeth.

Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust, which runs Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich and Lewisham Hospital, was at “full capacity” yesterday, according to an internal email from Ben Travis, the trust’s chief executive, shared by the Sunday Times heath editor Shaun Lintern on social media.

Junior doctors make up half of all doctors in hospitals, meaning that their absence is being felt at a time when A&E departments are already under strain with Covid, flu and norovirus cases rising in recent weeks.

The ICS is advising patients:

  • Life-threatening emergency or serious injury: call 999 or go to your nearest Emergency Department (A&E)
  • Medical attention and advice: contact your GP
  • If you cannot contact your GP: visit NHS 111 online
  • For expert advice and medicines: visit your local pharmacy
  • Mental health emergency: visit NHS 111 online

Thursday is the second day of the strike, the longest in the history of the NHS. The medics are demanding a 35 per cent pay rise that they say will fix 15 years of below-inflation pay settlements.

The British Medical Association says that if the government makes a credible offer it will end the strike — but ministers have said they will not negotiate while the strike is on.

Toby Garrod, the ICS medical director, said: “We are disappointed that talks between the government and the BMA have broken down. We are seeing a significant cumulative impact after more than 12 months of industrial action. These strikes have come at the worst possible time of year. Staff in our hospitals in south east London are working flat out to keep patients safe and ensure that services are there for those that need them urgently. They continue to prioritise emergency care and people should continue to call 999 for life-threatening emergencies.

“I urge people to use urgent and emergency services appropriately. For anything that isn’t life threatening please go to NHS 111 online. Local pharmacies can also provide a wide range of health advice and help, and GP services are running normally.”