Tameside Hospital is warning patients that a four-day strike by junior doctors this week will inevitably impact on its services.

Health services will be facing a busy period after the Easter holidays as the strike action begins today (Tuesday) and is due to last until Saturday morning (15 April). 

Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Ashton-based hospital, says although they have plans to keep disruption to a minimum, postponements for treatment can be expected. 

People are being urged only to use the A&E department in real emergencies. 

Dr Francis Andrews, consultant in emergency medicine and medical director at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, on behalf of all acute medical directors for NHS Greater Manchester, said: "Junior doctors are a valued and essential part of our NHS workforce. We know what an important role they play across services in Greater Manchester as they care for patients and progress in their medical careers. 

"During this time our priorities remain the same – to ensure patient safety and that people know where they can go to get the right healthcare during strikes.

"As always, we want to reassure the public that they must come forward if they need urgent medical care, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.

"Whilst we are doing our best to minimise disruption, we hope that people will support us by using NHS 111 Online and their local pharmacy as their first port of call for health needs. Only using 999 or the emergency department (A&E) if it’s life-threatening.

"Services across the whole healthcare system are expected to be impacted by the junior doctor strike, but our message to the public is to please continue to attend your appointments unless you are contacted and told otherwise. The NHS will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled due to strike action." 

Junior doctors - which are qualified doctors in clinical training - have staged a new four-day walkout in support of their demand for a 35 per cent pay rise. The strike is expected to be the most disruptive, and the longest junior doctor strike, in the history of the NHS. 

The British Medical Association union, which represents junior doctors, says the figure would make up for what it argues are 15 years of below-inflation wage rises. 

But the Government has said it is unrealistic and unaffordable, with Health Secretary Steve Barclay accusing organisers of timing the strike to "maximise disruption". 

Hospital bosses across England have said they cannot guarantee patient safety during the strike. 

More than 250,000 appointments and operations could be cancelled across the country, and some hospitals say up to half of planned treatment is affected. 

Junior doctors previously staged a walkout on 13 to 15 March, which led to 175,000 outpatient appointments and operations across England being rescheduled.