Junior doctor strike: 400 appointments cancelled at the Royal hospital

The doctors are providing emergency cover only during the 24-hour walkout, which started at 8am today (Jan 12).

The BMA said junior doctors would take strike action for the first time in 40 years after the latest round of negotiations in the long-running row ended last week.

On Monday, British Prime Minister David Cameron urged junior doctors to call off the strike, warning it would cause “some real difficulties for patients and potentially worse”.

Dr Sykes said he had not been looking forward to Tuesday’s 24-hour strike.

Despite last-ditch talks to prevent the damaging action, around 4,000 operations and procedures have been cancelled, with thousands more routine appointments also postponed.

The British government wanted to establish a “seven-day National Health Service (NHS)” and proposed to introduce a new work contract for junior doctors, who believe the new contract would reduce protections for them.

Striking junior doctors in the Black Country have been ordered back to work after a major incident was declared at an under-pressure hospital.

She told Premier that doctors want to their time to be better valued: “We already work evenings, weekends, nights, I was on night shifts over Christmas”.

Fears include junior doctors being overworked through lack of control on their hours which could lead to an increased risk to patients.

The Government is intent on introducing a new contract for doctors working up to consultant level to replace one it says is “outdated”.

Dr Damian Riley, medical director at the trust, said: “Patients in need of urgent and emergency care will continue to receive the treatment they need, when they need it”. We are continuing to plan for the possibility of industrial action over the coming weeks and to ensure we robustly protect the safety and welfare of patients and ensure that services continue to be provided.

Jeremy Hunt blasted the strike as “totally unnecessary” and said he did not want to force the contract on doctors – but did not rule it out.

Further strike action is planned for January 26 and February 10. Sandwell Hospital raised the alarm shortly after the strike got under way, saying beds were filling up and they were struggling to discharge patients.

JUNIOR doctors have been hitting the picket lines in protest at government plans to change their pay and conditions.