Why Medical Care For Thousands Is In Jeopardy Due To The Queen’s Funeral

Before plans for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral were even announced, King Charles III declared that the day of her funeral would be a national holiday. It’s supposed to be treated like a bank holiday, adding that “there is no statutory entitlement to time off” and that it is “a matter of discussion between individuals and their employer.”

Per openDemocracy, the NHS has let the decision for medical providers to close on Sept. 19, 2022 — the date of the queen’s funeral — up to each location. As a result, some NHS trusts have decided to cancel and reschedule “all non-urgent procedures and clinic appointments.” That includes but is not limited to “hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery, maternity checks, and some cancer treatments,” per openDemocracy.

A letter obtained by the Daily Mail indicates that primary care doctors will also be “allowed to close for their core services as a result of the bank holiday.” The letter, signed by Dr. Ursula Montgomery, the director of primary care for NHS England, urges doctors to let patients refill prescriptions ahead of the bank holiday due to office closures.

According to Bloomberg, many NHS locations like Queen Victoria Hospital in Sussex — a burn care center — are telling patients that they will contact them to reschedule, asking patients not to call in themselves. Emergency services and issuing of COVID-19 vaccinations, however, would not be disrupted.