Kingston Hospital has warned of the severe disruption its services will face during next week's 96-hour junior doctor strike.

Junior doctor members of the British Medical Association (BMA) are set to take part in a walkout from 7am on Tuesday, April 11 - Saturday, April 15, in a continued fight for a 35% pay rise to compensate for salaries that have been cut by more than a quarter since 2008.

The four-day strike action follows the Easter Bank Holiday and falls during school holidays, which Kingston Hospital acknowledges will add to the anticipated strain of services and the need to redeploy staff to maintain emergency, cancer and maternity departments.

Approximately 75% of outpatient appointments that were due to take place at Kingston Hospital on the days of strike action have been rescheduled and the hospital's Emergency Department is expected to be particularly busy.

Anyone whose appointment needs to be cancelled due to strike action will be contacted and appointments will be rescheduled 'as soon as possible'. The hospital has stated people should continue to attend appointments as planned, unless they are told otherwise.

Dr William Oldfield, Chief Medical Officer for Kingston Hospital, said: "Our staff are working hard to minimise disruption to care and treatment during the upcoming industrial action, but we know that next week will be very challenging. We would like to apologise to our patients for the disruption and thank them for their understanding.

"During the days of strike action, our Emergency Department will be prioritising patients that need care most urgently. If you attend our Emergency Department, waiting times will be longer than usual, and if we feel you could be seen elsewhere, we may redirect you. Our staff may also be more stretched than usual and so we ask everyone to remain kind and compassionate."

Junior doctors are fighting for a 35% pay rise to compensate for salaries that have been cut by more than a quarter since 2008 (Credit: BMA)

The Hospital is advising the public during April's strike action to contact 111 online, GPs and pharmacists as a first port of call if they are looking for help and advice.

BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, added: "It is with disappointment and great frustration that we must announce this new industrial action. The Government has dragged its feet at every opportunity. It has not presented any credible offer and is refusing to accept that there is any case for pay restoration, describing our central ask as 'unrealistic' and 'unreasonable'. Even yesterday they continued to add new unacceptable preconditions to talks instead of getting on and trying to find a resolution.  

"We therefore have no confidence that without further action these negotiations can be successful. 

"This situation is entirely of the Government's own making. We want to spend our time looking after patients, not on strike. But with an NHS buckling under a workforce crisis, and four in ten junior doctors looking to leave, we can't stand by while our pay is further eroded by inflation and an intransigent Government. We are not going to stop until we are paid what we are worth, and if ministers don't accept that when we tell them in person, we will have to tell them from the picket line."