They will provide emergency care only for 24 hours from 8am today after talks meant to end the dispute collapsed earlier this month.
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We stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity that’s the Clear message from doctors on the striking Picket lines this morning in Portsmouth.
When the junior doctors when on strike in January, the hospitals cancelled 387 outpatient appointments and 32 operations.
Talks between the Government and the British Medical Association (BMA) failed to reach any kind of deal, despite last-ditch attempts to avoid a walkout.
The industrial action is being taken over a new contract proposed by Mr Hunt which would re-define anti-social hours and make it cheaper for hospitals to roster doctors on weekends and evenings.
Health Minister Ben Gummer told MPs “we can not delay this any longer” and said latest estimates suggest 2,884 operations have been cancelled ahead of today’s strike.
We know how upsetting and frustrating this can be for our patients, but we must prioritise our services on the day for anyone whose care could be compromised if it was delayed.
The government also proposes to scrap guaranteed pay increases, linked to time in the job, and replace them with a system where junior doctors progress through different stages in training.
The major point of contention concerns weekend pay and whether Saturdays should be considered an ordinary day of the week, or a day when overtime should be paid.
The Tories plan to introduce new pay and working hours conditions which the BMA claims will lead to doctors receiving less pay for doing more work, and potentially risky conditions in hospitals. If patients have not heard from us they should attend their appointments as normal.
We are continuing to plan to ensure we robustly protect the safety and welfare of patients and ensure that services continue to be provided. In November, the government said that junior medics would receive time-and-a-half for working Monday to Sunday between 10pm and 7am, and time-and-a-third for any hours worked between 7pm and 10pm on Saturdays.
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Anyone unsure about where best to go for their health needs is advised to call NHS 111 night or day.
