More than 60 junior doctors gathered outside Basingstoke hospital, in Aldermaston Road, as the planned walkout began at 8am this morning.
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Danny Mortimer, the head of NHS Employers, which is representing the Government in negotiations, said he was “desperate” to avoid a repeat of the strike.
There are more than 55,000 junior doctors in Britain, making up a third of the medical workforce.
Sir Robert Francis QC, who chaired the inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal, warned: “Industrial action will not solve their (the doctors’) problems and can only compromise patient safety”.
They collected more signatures for a petition backing their contract fight in the “Meet the Doctors” event, the first since November past year.
“We have been clear throughout this process that we want to negotiate a contract that is safe and fair, and delivers for junior doctors, patients and the NHS as whole”, he added.
Strike action comes amid a dispute over the reform of junior doctor contracts.
“One of the main problems is they are going to stop the safeguarding measures which limit the amount of hours you can work”, she said.
Express.co.uk has campaigned tirelessly in support of Junior Doctors to help them get the deal they deserve.
Placard-waving doctors surrounded every major hospital in Yorkshire on Tuesday to show their discontent over Government’s proposed changes to their working contracts, which the BMA sees as “unsafe and unfair”.
Dr Fitzgerald said: “We want to make sure the public understand that we have taken this action in support of the NHS and its future”.
Thousands of routine procedures were cancelled but emergency care was still available today, as junior doctors-that is, those at a level up to but not including consultant-walked out.
Hospitals on the Yorkshire coast are running smoothly despite the 24-hour strike by junior doctors.
Today’s strike will be followed by a 48-hour stoppage and the provision of emergency care only from 8am on January 26.
Two further strikes are planned, the second of which – on 10 February – would involve a refusal to take part in emergency care.
A trust spokesperson said: “We have contacted all affected patients to inform them of their cancelled appointment due to the industrial action”.
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“We had people dropping off hot drinks and food, telling us their stories, one lady made us cakes and said ‘This hospital saved my life I am behind you 100%’ which was just lovely”.
