Whittington Hospital is expecting a "severe disruption to services" as junior doctors prepare to go on strike after the Easter bank holiday.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced junior doctors' strikes running from 6.59am on Tuesday (April 11) until 6.59am on Saturday (April 15).

Whittington Health NHS Trust which runs the Whittington Hospital, in Magdala Avenue, Archway, and community services across Haringey, Islington and Camden, is cancelling all non-urgent planned care and outpatient appointments.

It is urging the public to to seek medical care if desperate but to "use services responsibly" over the next week.

The four days of strikes come immediately after the four-day bank holiday weekend, days the hospital said "are already challenging for the NHS".

The trust said a "huge amount of work" is underway to ensure "robust" contigency plans are in place to ensure it can continue to keep patients safe.

The trust said a "difficult decision" had been taken to cancel all non-urgent planned care and outpatient appointments so there is medical cover to safely care for current inpatients and those needing urgent unplanned care.

All affected patients will be contacted by telephone, letter or text message to let them know about the changes to their appointment. If not contacted they should attend as booked.

It also warned of longer waiting times in its emergency department and advised patients to call 111, or visit the 111.nhs.uk website if their need is not life-threatening.

Medical director Dr Clare Dollery said: “We want the public to know that if they need the NHS during the strike, the NHS will be there for them. 

"However, there is no doubt that we are expecting severe disruption to services, so we are asking people to use services appropriately and when it is urgent but not life threatening to think 111 first.”

The trust, which is not a party to the dispute between the union and the Government, hopes that "both sides can find a solution as soon as possible".