HOSPITAL patients in Otley are being warned to expect disruption during a strike by health workers next week.

Some staff at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust including nurses, midwives and porters will join a national, four hour walk-out over a pay dispute on Monday.

The Trust, whose hospitals include Wharfedale Hospital, in Otley, insists steps are being taken to ensure vital services are provided as normal - but some outpatient clinics and routine surgery will have to be rearranged.

A spokesman said: "Our priority during any industrial action is to ensure our patients are kept safe and that we maintain the most urgent hospital services.

"On October 13 between 7am and 11am we will ensure essential services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals continue as normal. These include emergency and urgent surgery and medical care, Accident and Emergency, all cancer treatments, and all emergency maternity services, including antenatal visits and urgent screening.

"We will be concentrating resources on these areas as well as on looking after patients on our wards.

"Some disruption to everyday hospital activity is inevitable, but understandably it is difficult to predict the scale exactly at this stage.

"As part of our plans to ensure we continue to deliver the safest possible care to our patients, we will be rearranging routine surgery and outpatient clinics that would normally have occurred during this four hour period.

"Over the coming days we will be contacting patients in writing, by phone and by text to let them know if their appointment has been affected.

"If you are not contacted during this time, please assume your appointment will go ahead as usual.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our patients and will endeavour to rearrange appointments as quickly as possible."

Once service that will not be affected is radiography, as the Society of Radiographers has announced that its members will be holding a national strike a week later, on Monday, October 20.