Junior doctors have started a 48-hour strike as they step up their dispute with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt over a new contract.
Previous strikes have been well supported in Brighton.
The local hospital trust – Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital – said: “Some elective surgery and outpatient appointments have been cancelled and rescheduled but if you haven’t heard from us please assume your appointment will go ahead as planned.
“We would encourage the public to help keep our Emergency Department free for emergencies and use other services such as NHS 111, the Urgent Treatment Centre at Crawley Hospital and the Brighton Station Health Centre if possible.”
Sussex Defend the NHS said that the strike was a protest about the decision to impose an unfair and unsafe contract.
The campaign group said: “Anger has been mounting right across the medical and other health professions at what is acknowledged now as a deliberate destabilisation and underfunding policy by this government to destroy our NHS.”
The strike started at 8am today (Wednesday 9 March) and ends at 8am on Friday (11 March).
