It comes as resident doctors plan to strike for five days leading up to Christmas.
The industrial action is expected to take place across NHS services in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire.
The walkout is scheduled to begin at 7am on Wednesday, December 17, and conclude at 7am on Monday, December 22, unless a resolution is reached.
Major disruption is expected across the county, including in Swindon, impacting outpatient appointments and routine surgery.
A Great Western Hospital spokesperson said: “Resident doctors, previously named junior doctors, who are members of the British Medical Association (BMA) will participate in industrial action between Wednesday 17 December and Monday 22 December.
“We have planned for this period to ensure we can safely maintain as many services as possible, however the strike action is expected to impact the services we are able to provide during this time.
“Our urgent and emergency care service will remain open as normal.
“We may need to rearrange some planned appointments, treatments and procedures and will contact you directly, at the earliest opportunity, if we need to rearrange your appointment.
“If you do not hear from us, please attend your appointment as planned.
“We ask local people to use health services wisely and contact NHS 111 if you are unsure what to do. Please always phone 999 in an emergency.
“This is a dispute between the BMA and the Government over pay, not between resident doctors and the Trust, and we hope that a resolution is reached soon.
“We apologise for any disruption to your care that this industrial action may cause.”
“For information about your local healthcare services, please visit Local healthcare services | Great Western Hospital”.
Gill May, chief nursing officer, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said: “December is always a challenging time for the NHS, and this latest period of industrial action will only add to the pressure already being felt.
“As we’ve asked before, the support of our public helps to ensure that urgent and emergency care services, such as our A&E departments and ambulance crews, which will be running as normal, remain ready and available for people in genuine need.
“Practising good self-care at home, as well as using community pharmacies and NHS 111 when unsure of how best to manage a condition, can make a real difference during what is expected to be an incredibly busy time for all in the NHS.”
It comes at a time when NHS bosses in the South West have issued a last chance call for people to get their flu jab ahead of Christmas, with hospitalisations from the illness surging by 76 per cent in the region in only one week.
NHS England South West revealed that the number of beds taken up by flu compared to the same week last year (week to December 7, 2024), has gone up by 93 per cent.
Connie Timmins, lead nurse for infection prevention and control, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said: “Getting the flu vaccine is the best way to keep vulnerable people safe, but our hospitals will only feel the impact of increased levels of immunity in a couple of weeks’ time, when the vaccination has had time to fully take effect.
“What makes a real difference right now, however, is for any person who has symptoms of flu, or any other infectious condition, such as norovirus and Covid-19, to stay at home until feeling better, as going out and about – especially to hospitals, GP practices or pharmacies – risks passing the virus on to others, including our frontline health and care teams.”
The increase in flu cases have led to ward closures and increased staff absences and to reduce transmission, mask-wearing has been reintroduced in hospitals, which includes Swindon’s Great Western Hospital (GWH).
GWH confirmed just last week that 2,503 adults attended urgent and emergency care in the first week of December, along with a 53 per cent increase in those aged under 17 attending children’s emergency services, compared with the last week of November.
Mitesh Aggarwal, managing director of SEJ Pharma Group, which owns Covingham Pharmacy among others across the country, said: “We’ve seen a big uptake in the flu vaccine alongside the normal pressures of people putting in Christmas orders for medication. We’ve accepted it and done whatever we can to help the local population.
“We’ve put in extra orders with manufacturers, contacted manufacturers to source extra flu and covid vaccines and put in extra staffing to try to help the local population access whatever services they can during this period.
“Overall there are more people coming in mainly for the flu vaccine and there’s panic due to the new strain that’s come forward. This season has been busier, the new strain of flu has increased pressure and we are getting more referrals from surgeries and more general queries.
“Each year has its own different challenges, it’s about adapting and working with them, doing the best we can to help in these situations.
“The strikes are not ideal for anyone in any circumstance, however we are keeping our doors open, accessible and we are happy to help with whatever we can.
“We’re keeping a smile on our face and helping where we can and we’re putting everything in place to ensure things remain as smooth as possible.”