Junior doctors strike across the South

The Health Secretary branded the junior doctors’ strike “very unnecessary” as he said he hoped talks to avert further walkouts would succeed.

“NHS trusts are now working hard to reschedule cancelled tests, appointments and operations as soon as is possible”.

There are more than 55,000 junior doctors in England – covering those who have just graduated from medical school through to those with more than a decade of experience.

Junior Doctors also have severe concerns about the quality of care patients will receive.

He said doctors have “even been unable to get leave for their own weddings despite months – and even up to a year – of notification in advance”.

A 27-year-old woman – who wished to remain anonymous – who has been a junior doctor for three years said: “If they are not bringing in any more doctors than the service will be more thinly spread than it already us”.

The doctors are in dispute over pay and conditions following a Government pledge to increase health cover at weekends.

He said: “No NHS worker takes lightly the decision to strike, but the blame must be laid at the door of this government for the way it has treated doctors and now seeks to smear them in the press”.

“We are now working through contingency plans to ensure we are safely providing the right level of care to our patients”.

In a last-minute plea yesterday (Jan 11) for junior doctors to call off the action, the prime minister said the walkout would cause “real difficulties for patients and potentially worse”.

British Medical Association (BMA) local negotiating committee member Dr Niki Fitzgerald said: “We didn’t want to get to this point.

We expect the majority of outpatient clinics to go ahead as planned and will contact patients individually if there is any change to their scheduled appointment or operation”.

More industrial action is planned for Tuesday January 26 when junior doctors will again only provide emergency care, and if an agreement is not reached by Wednesday February 10 junior doctors plan to withhold all labour, including emergency care for nine hours.

It’s also surprising that only 3% of those questioned by Ipsos MORI thought that the strike was over “seven-day services in the NHS”.

Now further talks are to take place to try and break the deadlock between the Government and doctors over a new contract.

“In the wake of Mid Staffs the NHS has made huge strides in improving patient care – and making sure doctors are supported to deliver safe care is an essential part of that”.