Nurses in Cornwall are joining colleagues across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in two days of strike action starting this morning.

Staff from the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust and Cornwall Partnership Foundation NHS Trust are joining the action for the first time. Cornwall was not involved in the initial two strike days in December, although nurses at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, where many patients from Cornwall are cared for, took part. Derriford is not part of the two-day strike today and tomorrow.

Staff will continue to provide "life-preserving" and some urgent care but routine surgery and other planned treatment is likely to be disrupted.

Advice has been issued for people during the action:

People who are seriously ill or injured, and whose life is at risk, should call 999 as usual, or call 111 for non-urgent care.

Other services, such as some cancer treatments, mental health services or urgent testing, may be partially staffed.

More routine care is likely to be badly affected, including planned operations such as knee and hip replacements, community nursing services and health visiting.

Official advice is that anyone with an appointment which hasn't already been rearranged should turn up at their allotted time.

GPs, community pharmacies and dentists will not be affected.