Further details of action being taken at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and elsewhere in the healthcare sector have emerged ahead of tomorrow's nationwide strike.

A number of trade unions, of which the hospital are members, have voted to take industrial action as part of the National Day of Action.

The Unions involved in this action are UNISON, Unite, the Society of Radiographers, Managers in Partnership, the Chartered Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, British Association of Occupational Therapists and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists.

The Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives and the British Medical Association are not involved and have not balloted their members on taking industrial action.

Emergency services at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital will continue as normal on the day, and though the precise details of the number of health staff likely to take action is not yet known, the NHS has said it is working with unions to ensure that essential services are maintained.

Patients whose appointments have been altered will also have been contacted in advance, it said.

Anna Dugdale, chief executive of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: 'We are very sorry for the stress and inconvenience this will cause to our patients and their families and we will do everything in our power to rearrange those patients affected as soon as possible.

'We are grateful to our staff for ensuring that surgery for cancer patients will not be affected.

'We are asking patients who are due to be admitted or to attend a clinic or outpatient appointment on 30th November to attend as normal unless informed by the hospital that their admission or appointment will be affected.

'We will provide updates our website as the extent of the action becomes clearer.'

The public are being asked to use NHS services sensibly on the day to ensure emergency care does not become overstretched, while NHS Norfolk and Waveney has said it does not anticipate that GP services will be significantly affected.

The East of England Ambulance Service is planning to run patient services and the Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Trust expects to run inpatient services and many important community services as normal on a similar level of service to a bank holiday.

Norfolk Community Health and Care services are expected to continue broadly as normal, but services most likely to be affected are physiotherapy and podiatry clinics, and patients are being notified if their appointment needs to be rearranged.

Hospitals in Norfolk are hoping to run at least a bank holiday level of service and while in some areas it will be normal business, some appointments and non-emergency procedures will have to be rearranged. Patients are asked to attend as normal, unless contacted by their hospital.

Patients are being reminded they can call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47, and they can also get advice from pharmacists.

Patients who need to be seen immediately but do not have a serious illness or injury, can access the Timber Hill Health Centre in Castle Mall, Norwich (7am-9pm) or the Minor Injuries Unit at Cromer from 8am-8pm.

Visit the Choose Well section of the NHS Norfolk website at www.norfolk.nhs.uk

•More information on the impact of the strikes is in today's Eastern Daily Press, which will also cover tomorrow's action in full.