PATIENTS with a hospital appointment scheduled for Monday, September 19 – the date of the Queen’s funeral – have been advised to “plan as if it is going ahead”.

The UK Government has confirmed that the date of Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral will be a national bank holiday.

On Tuesday, openDemocracy reported that thousands of patients across several NHS trusts have had non-urgent hospital appointments postponed.

This includes hip and knee replacements, maternity checks, cataract surgery, and some cancer treatments.

Decisions about staffing and services on the bank holiday are being made by NHS trusts at a local level.

In Somerset, patients at Musgrove Park Hospital and Yeovil Hospital have been advised to plan to attend their scheduled appointments.

The NHS trust will contact patients to confirm their appointments or reschedule as necessary in the coming days.

A Somerset NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: “Following the announcement that Monday, September 19, 2022, will be a bank holiday to coincide with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral, we are currently working on the arrangements for our services and staff.

“If you have an appointment with us for Monday, September 19 or are booked for surgery, please plan as if it is going ahead.

“We will make personal contact with you over the next few days to either confirm arrangements or, if needed, reschedule.”

The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust provides community, mental health, and acute hospital services in the county.

It is preparing to merge with the Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

When the government announced the bank holiday, it said days off work are “a matter for discussion between individuals and their employer”.

It added: “There is no statutory entitlement to time off for bank holidays, but employers may include bank holidays as part of a worker’s leave entitlement.

“The government cannot interfere in existing contractual arrangements between employers and workers.

“However, we would expect that many workers will be able to take the day off on the bank holiday.

“We also expect employers to respond sensitively to requests from workers who wish to take the day of the funeral off work.”

The Queen will lie in state at Westminster Hall for four days before her funeral on Monday. 

The funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey at 11am. It will be the first state funeral since Sir Winston Churchill's in 1965.