THE first industrial action by doctors for more than 30 years seems likely to cause minimal disruption to NHS services in the region tomorrow.

Patients who are due to have an operation or attend an outpatient operation are being advised to keep their appointment unless they have been notified not to attend.

Most GP’s surgeries are expected to be running a nearnormal service.

A survey by Pulse magazine suggests that, nationally, nearly three-quarters of GP practices will be open as normal tomorrow.

Checks at three hospital trusts in the North-East could only confirm the cancellation of a single operation – although that figure is likely to increase.

The cancelled operation was at the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, where officials said a total of 53 outpatient appointments had also been cancelled.

Elsewhere, it is expected a small number of operations and outpatient appointments will be cancelled tomorrow.

However, a North-East British Medical Association spokesman, Dr George Rae, said anyone going to a GP surgery for a non-urgent reason, such as a blood pressure check or to renew their repeat prescription, could be asked to come back another day.

A spokeswoman at North Tees and Hartlepool Trust said: “More than 1,000 outpatient appointments are due to take place on Thursday.

“Around 250 of these appointments are provided by specialist nurses – or they are classed as urgent – and they will go ahead as planned. We have contacted patients and postponed 53 appointments out of the remaining 750. And we have postponed one operation.

“All of these appointments are being rescheduled as soon as possible.” A spokeswoman for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: “We have been talking to our doctors and their representatives about the day of action, and expect our emergency and planned services to operate with minimal disruption on Thursday.”

A spokeswoman for South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “The trust, like other NHS organisations, is doing everything it can to protect our services and minimise any disruption to patient care, which this planned action may cause.

“Patients should continue to come in for their appointments or treatment on the day, unless they have been contacted in advance not to do so.”

Dr Rae said: “This action is being taken with a heavy heart. The doctors feel badly let down because the Government have gone back on their promises on our retirement age.”