Healthcare bosses have maintained the NHS ’remains open’ amid strike action today.

Train workers from the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are walking out over three days this week as a result of a dispute over frozen pay.

A Tube strike in London today will also cause severe travel disruption until 8am tomorrow.

And the London Overground and the Elizabeth line – which use National Rail ‘assets’ to operation – will be affected over the full three days.

The NHS have urged people needing to attend medical appointments this week to leave as much time as they can to travel.

The strikes could have a particular impact on hospitals in London, as many of have limited parking for those choosing to drive in a bid to avoid strike disruption.

The city’s King’s College Hospital said in a statement: ‘We recognise that some patients and visitors are likely to experience difficulty accessing our hospital sites on the strike days, but also on the days in-between.

‘We would like to reassure patients and visitors that hospital services will continue as normal during this period.’

A nurse, who wished to remain anonymous over fears of losing their job, said: ‘Today is going to be awful. We’ve been told we have to make a plan, but then we’ve been given no support or practical ideas on how to deal it.

‘Very few staff who work at the hospital can afford to live anywhere nearby so it’s going to lead to a massive shortage of staff.

‘We’ve already had a very tough two years having to cope with Covid-19 watching people needlessly die, and we’re about to see the same thing happen again. I don’t know if I can go through with that again.

‘The thing is, this time it’s a manmade problem brought about by strikes. The strikers are going to have blood on their hands.’

As well as affecting patient appointments, the strikes may also hamper the commutes of NHS staff.

Some hospitals have made arrangements to ensure their workforce can make it in, and have set up park-and-ride services and taxi-sharing facilities.

Staff are also being encouraged to cycle, walk or car share while those who can work from home are being asked to do so.

Meanwhile patients were warned of potential delays if they were late for appointments due to travel disruption.

Barts Health, one of the biggest trusts in London, said in a statement: ‘Our staff will be flexible with appointment timings, allowing for the fact that patients may be delayed on route.

‘Please note that you may then experience a wait if you do arrive later than your specified appointment time. If you are delayed on your way to your appointment, please contact the team to let them know.’

Moorfield’s Eye Hospital in London reminded patients that staff ‘will have the same difficulties in travelling in to offer appointments as you will’.

On Friday, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director for the NHS in England, had urged patients not to put off appointments.

He said: ‘The NHS sees millions of people every week for urgent and routine care and it is vital that people access the care they need despite disruptions – the NHS remains open, so please do continue to come forward.’

Meanwhile, business chiefs have warned that continued strike actions would cause ‘incredible’ damage to the UK in both the short-term and long-term.

Economists at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) have warned that the three rail strikes across Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday will have a fallout worth at least £91 million to the UK economy.

Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, warned that the capital ‘cannot afford a summer of chaos on the railways and tube lines’.

The business boss called for the RMT union, Network Rail, and the Government to return to negotiations amid fears that this week’s action could be repeated later this year.

Mr Burge said: ‘While this strike will be damaging, a recession is looking likely regardless; as such, I wouldn’t pin an eventual recession on this strike.

‘However, what is very worrying is the possibility that this dispute continues through the year and we see multiple strikes into the future.

‘A week lost every month for the foreseeable future is going to do incredible short-term and long-term damage to the economy and the UK’s reputation as an attractive destination for investment.’

The CEBR has predicted that almost 50% of the impact of the strikes will be felt on Tuesday, when both tube and rail workers are involved in strike action.

Hospitality and retail firms are expected to be particularly vulnerable to a financial hit from the loss of trade.

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, has warned that the rail strike could cost the sector up to £540 million.

She added: ‘Fragile consumer confidence will take a further hit, thousands of people able and willing to spend money in hospitality venues across the country will be prevented from doing so, while staff will undoubtedly struggle to even get to work.

‘We should all be pulling in the same direction if we’re to get the UK economy back on track.’

Meanwhile, James Hardiman, senior analyst at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said: ‘

UK footfall is already down on pre-pandemic levels, and this will only slow the progress retailers have made to bring people back in-store.’

Several professions could be about to follow rail workers in striking.

The biggest teaching union, the National Education Union, could be balloting thousands of members unless pay levels improve.

Teachers ‘simply cannot carry on with the salaries they are getting’ the union’s head, Mary Bousted, told the BBC.

Meanwhile Unison, which represents NHS workers, has also been considering strike action.

And courts could grind to a halt next week after barristers voted to go on strike.

The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) said its members in England and Wales will walk out over a dispute about legal aid funding.

Jo Sidhu QC and Kirsty Brimelow QC, from the CBA, said ‘what is at stake is the survival of a profession of specialist criminal advocates and of the criminal justice system which depends so critically upon their labour’.

A statement continued: ‘Without immediate action to halt the exodus of criminal barristers from our ranks, the record backlog that has crippled our courts will continue to inflict misery upon victims and defendants alike, and the public will be betrayed.’

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