Planned industrial action has been announced by the British MedicalAssociation (BMA) involving junior doctors.

The action will run for 96-hours starting 7am on Tuesday April 11, to 7am on Saturday April 15.

Industrial action is a national dispute between the Government and Trades Unions about terms and conditions.

We are committed to keeping patient andstaff safety as our priority.

The four days of strike action comes immediately after the Easter bank holiday weekend, which is traditionally a challenging time for thehospital. We are working hard to ensure there is minimal disruption to patient care and that emergency services continue to operate asnormal.

We are currently developing our plans for the proposed action and its impact on our services, patients and staff.

Outpatients appointments and planned activity may be affected. Patients should continue to attend appointments as planned unless contacted toreschedule.

We will be re-arranging any postponed appointments as a priority.

The hospital will be in touch with you directly if your appointment has been affected so we can rearrange another date. You will be contacted ifyour appointment has been postponed, so you are asked not to call them.

You can use the Emergency Department if you have a life-threatening emergency. Be aware that our service, like the wider NHS and localhealth and care system, is very busy.

The Urgent Treatment Centre at the Cumberland Centre in Devonport is open every day to treat you if you have an injury which isn’tlife-threatening, but requires urgent treatment.

The Minor Injury Units at South Hams Hospital is also open everyday.

If you need help or support regarding services, please speak to the relevant department or service in the first instance, or contact PALS(Patient Advice and Liaison Service) for further support.