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Junior doctors return to work as talks begin to avoid next walk-out

Doctors have ended their strike and returned to work amid new hope that a deal over changes to their contracts can be reached before the next planned 48-hour walkout.

Thousands of junior doctors walked out for 24 hours, while around 4,000 operations had to be cancelled.

Two further strikes are planned but talks are expected to resume in an effort to break the stalemate.

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More than half of all junior doctors are on strike

More than half of all junior doctors are on strike today, NHS England figures show.

NHS trusts have reported that 39% of junior doctors (out of a possible 26,000 who would be expected to be in work on a typical day) have reported for duty on the day shift.

This includes those working in urgent and emergency care, who were planning to work.

This means more than half - 61% - are on strike.

Combining junior doctors, other doctors and consultants, the data shows 71% of the total trust medical workforce in work today.

71%
of the medical workforce are in work today

NHS Trusts have also reported today that the following elective procedures due to take place today have been cancelled as as a result of industrial actrion:

  • 1,279 inpatient prodcedures
  • 2,175 day cases

As expected, unfortunately, this action has caused disruption to patient care and we apologise to all patients affected. It’s a tough day but the NHS is pulling out all the stops, with senior doctors and nurses often stepping in to provide cover.

We are actively monitoring the situation across the country and the impact of the action is broadly in line with what we were expecting. NHS trusts are now working hard to reschedule cancelled tests, appointments and operations as soon as is possible.

– Anne Rainsberry, National Incident Director for NHS England

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