The strike came “after the government’s continued failure to address junior doctors’ concerns about the need for robust contractual safeguards on safe working, and proper recognition for those working unsocial hours”, the BMA said in a statement.
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The striking doctors argue patients will be put at risk by the government’s policies, while the government says the National Health Service (NHS) needs more flexibility to deliver services on weekends.
Junior doctors strikes across the region were a success, it has been claimed.
A second strike is scheduled for 48 hours from 8 am on January 26, and a third will be a full walk-out from services, including emergency care, on February 10.
“Unfortunately, some of our planned appointments and operations may be cancelled and these will be rearranged for another date”. They understand the reason why we took industrial action and it was the right thing to do, for both ourselves and our patients.
The doctors – medical-school graduates who are training to be consultants or family practitioners – staged a first strike Tuesday, providing emergency care only for 24 hours.
The BMA is also concerned that financial penalties faced by NHS providers for overworking doctors would be removed in the new contract and replaced by an inspection regime led by the Care Quality Commission.
Talks are due to resume at 9am, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) said.
The long-running dispute centres on changes to medics’ pay and working conditions.
The Government’s last contract offer to juniors includes an 11 per cent basic pay rise.
Mr Hunt said almost 40% (39%) of junior doctors chose to work, however, the figure included the medics who had agreed to work to maintain emergency care levels and not been asked by the BMA to take action.
“Whilst we are postponing some clinic appointments and elective surgery, we are contacting everyone involved individually ahead of time so they know what is happening and can plan accordingly”.
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He added: “It is heartening that people understand why we have done this, it was such a hard decision to strike but the public understand why we did this”. “We will monitor the situation across the country to ensure these plans are in place, and are ready to respond to any significant increases in pressure in any region over the course of this dispute”.
