Staff at the London Ambulance Service are taking industrial action on Monday 23 January from 11am to 11pm.

This means there will be fewer ambulances on the road and fewer staff triaging 999 calls.

This will cause further pressure on our busy A&E’s, so please make sure you are using the right services.

It’s important you contact 999 if it’s a life-threatening mental health or medical emergency, such as unconsciousness, chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe loss of blood and choking.

If it’s urgent but not life threatening, get advice first by visiting 111online, or call 111 if you cannot access it online. A trained advisor will assess you and direct you to the most appropriate place to receive care.

GPs and pharmacists can deal with a wide range of non-urgent issues. Pharmacists are qualified healthcare professionals, who can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for a range of minor illnesses, such as coughs, colds, aches and pains.

People coming to our departments who does not need emergency care will face extremely long waits and it’s likely our services may continue to be under pressure in the days following the strike.

Further advice is available on our get the right care for you page.