WITH less than 24 hours before the first industrial action by doctors in almost 40 years, NHS bosses have refused to say how many patients will be affected in Oxfordshire.

From midnight tonight doctors across the county will take part in a day of action over pension changes Last night hospital chiefs refused to say how many doctors were taking part in the move and how many operations and appointments had been cancelled as a result.

They also refused to say how many patients had been contacted ahead of the action but stressed all of those affected had been.

Of 139 GP practices across both Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, 32 will join in the move, which means they will only see emergency appointments. Bosses at NHS Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, the organisation which oversees GP services, failed to answer exactly how many surgeries in the county would be taking part in the action when asked yesterday.

The British Medical Association (BMA) announced last month members intended to take part in industrial action.

Doctors joining the ‘Day of Action’ will not be carrying out non-urgent routine operations, outpatients’ appointments, diagnostic tests or GP consultations but will be in their normal place of work to deal with emergency cases.

Across the county, patients booked in for elective operations, such as knee and hip replacements, could see them postponed.

Patients with hospital appointments for routine conditions have been advised they could be cancelled.

But the Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) Trust, which runs the county’s four main hospitals, refused to say in which areas services could be affected or how many doctors were intending to take part.

A spokesman said: “We understand only a few clinics will be affected. All patients concerned have been contacted and their appointments are being rescheduled.”

But bosses at NHS Oxfordshire, the organisation which oversees GP services, could not say how many surgeries were taking part.

She said: “It isn’t true that NHS Oxfordshire don’t know, but yes, we’re unable to provide a breakdown that gives an accurate picture for Oxfordshire.”

Of the GP surgeries contacted by the Oxford Mail last night, all said they would not be taking part. These included the Leys Health Centre, in Dunnock Way, St Clements Surgery, and Dr C Kenyon And Partners, the Beaumont Street Surgery, and Dr H N Hammersley And Partners, all in north Oxford.

Last week Abingdon GP Prit Buttar confirmed he would be taking part in the action because the government’s move to up contributions by GPs was a “tax on doctors”.