SALISBURY District Hospital has said it will be operating a Bank Holiday all this week.

Junior Doctors are going on strike from April 11 to April 15 in a dispute over pay. 

An estimated 250,000 appointments, including operations, will be cancelled as a result of the walkout by members of the British Medical Association (BMA).

Doctors will mount picket lines outside hospitals from 7am until Saturday morning in the longest stoppage of the wave of unrest which has seen nurses, ambulance crews and other health workers take action since last year.

The focus of Salisbury Hospital during the four days of strike action - from April 11 to 15 - is to maintain "safe and compassionate patient care", the hospital has said.

The Accident & Emergency Department will be fully functional as will the Maternity Unit, and it says it will have safe staffing levels for all inpatients.

In a statement on its website, the hospital adds: "We’re working to ensure our wards are safely staffed and that critical services are maintained.

"If you have a family member waiting to be discharged, please try to respond quickly to calls about their ongoing care at home or in another setting and help to get them home for Easter."

Many outpatient clinics and planned surgery may be unable to go ahead as planned, and patients impacted will be contacted directly by the hospital.

If you are not contacted directly, the hospital says you should attend as planned.

It adds: "We also ask that you only attend A&E unless you have a life-threatening illness or severe injury. For illness and injuries that are not life-threatening or urgent, you can use alternatives such as your NHS 111 online, the Salisbury Walk-in Centre, your GP or local pharmacy. Please do check pharmacy opening times for the bank holiday weekend.

"If you do need to attend the hospital over the Easter bank holiday weekend or during the days of industrial action, please be aware that staff will be stretched, so please be prepared to wait a little longer or have appointments delayed."

Junior doctors are asking for a 35 per cent pay rise after years of below-inflation increases.

They voted overwhelmingly – 98 per cent on a 77 per cent turnout in a ballot organised by the British Medical Association (BMA) – to strike.