AN NHS boss has warned that upcoming junior doctor strikes will ‘severely disrupt’ the health service over the festive season.

Junior doctors at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust are preparing for a strike from 7am on December 20 to 7am on December 23.

The Trust is taking measures to maintain the safety of patients, whilst also ensuring the welfare of staff.

The strike will necessitate changes to services, possibly extending beyond the period of industrial action.

Efforts are being made to ensure as many services across hospitals and community sites, including emergency and essential services, continue as normal.

However, this will lead to the deferred scheduling of several outpatient appointments and elective procedures, also affecting some appointments before and after the strike days.

All affected patients will be informed and rescheduled at the earliest date.

Raghuv Bhasin, Chief Operating Officer at the Trust, said: "The strike will have a very significant impact on our services during the busiest time of the year.

"We have had to reschedule large volumes of planned care and our urgent and emergency care services will be under significant pressure, in particular our Emergency Department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital."

He added: "My final plea to the public is please do treat them with respect.

"Thank you for your understanding."