Thousands of UK doctors walk off the job in pay dispute

The row centres on proposed changes to junior doctors’ contracts that the union claims will see them doing more out of hours work for lower rates of pay.

An NHS England spokesman said: “We have tried and tested plans to deal with a range of disruptions including industrial action”.

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

Talks are continuing at the conciliation service Acas between the BMA and NHS employers.

The Government’s new head negotiator Sir David Dalton has pledged to “engage with the BMA team directly and listen to their outstanding concerns”.

Just one day after the British junior doctors’ strike, attempts have already begun to avert a second strike by the doctors.

The dispute revolves around plans to increase doctors’ basic pay but cut extra pay for working unsociable hours and talks have stalled, which has prompted the strike action.

Junior doctors returned to work after a 24-hour walkout which led to the cancellation of around 4,000 operations and thousands of cancelled appointments.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said patients’ lives would be at risk if the full withdrawal went ahead.

The organisation said Tuesday’s action was the first of three planned at the moment, with further strikes scheduled for January 26 and February 10.

The Royal College of Midwives has pledged its support for the junior doctors, saying: “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our NHS colleagues on this issue, and the Royal College of Midwives offers its support to the junior doctors.

“We are really against detrimental changes that would affect the safety of patients and the fair treatment of current and future doctors”.

The strike was called over a new type of contract which the government says will improve healthcare at night and at weekends but the doctors say it would drastically reduce their pay.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has put into operation an emergency care only model at the hospital – similar to a Christmas Day service – as 43 junior doctors across Worcestershire Royal Hospital, as well as the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and Kidderminster Hospital, take part in the national walk-out. Doctors have never completely deserted their patients before and in previous strikes in 2012, 1975 and on Tuesday still treated emergencies.

“Hunt wants a contract which would be unsafe for patients by removing safeguards which protect us from treating patients when we are overworked and without adequate rest”.