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

More than half of junior doctors across England went on strike as part of the ongoing dispute over contract changes, NHS England has reported.

According to figures from trusts around the country, around 44 per cent of the 26,000 junior doctors due to be at work reported for duty.

This includes those who had no intention of being on strike, such as those involved in emergency care.

Combining junior doctors, other doctors and consultants, this means some 73 per cent of the country's total medical workforce were in work during the 48-hour strike action.

Official figures show 5,264 procedures were cancelled because of the strike, including 2,077 inpatient and 3,187 day case procedures.

Junior doctors have returned to work after a 24-hour walkout over proposed new contracts.

The deadlock has shown little sign of breaking - with the major sticking pointing remaining over weekend pay and whether Saturday should be classed as a normal working day.

Around 1,140 planned inpatient procedures were cancelled as a result of the latest walkout, alongside 1,734 day procedures, according to analysis by NHS England.

NHS England confirmed that 43% of junior doctors reported for duty on the day shift - a figure including doctors who had never intended to strike, such as those working in emergency care.

Talks to prevent further strikes by junior doctors will resume on Thursday, Acas said.

In a statement, Acas, which aims to resolve employment disputes, said:

Doctors are ready for fresh talks "at any time" to prevent further strikes, the British Medical Association has said, amid warnings from Government that further industrial action could put lives at risk.

A 24-hour walkout on Tuesday saw the cancellation of around 4,000 operations and was condemned as "unnecessary" by the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Two further strikes are planned - the second of which would involve a refusal to take part in emergency care - but talks are expected to resume in an effort to break the stalemate.

Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, BMA council chairman Dr Mark Porter said:

Jeremy Hunt hopes that the latest talks with junior doctors over contract proposals and changes to working hours will "succeed."

Speaking to journalists outside his London home this morning, the Health Secretary also reaffirmed his view that Tuesday's 24-hour strike had been a "very unnecessary strike".

• Aide tries to stop reporter asking: 'Where is Jeremy Hunt?'

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, with some even refusing a plea to return to work, while around 4,000 operations had to be cancelled.

British Medical Association (BMA) council chairman Dr Mark Porter said neither side wanted the dispute to go on "indefinitely" and urged the Government to "recognise the strength of feeling" among medics.

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.

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

Dr Porter told The Times newspaper that BMA members were still backing further strikes.

• Peston: Junior doctors' contract changes 'just the first step'

Widespread support for the junior doctors' strike among senior health colleagues may lie in the fear of what could still be in store, ITV News political editor Robert Peston has said.

Junior doctors in England took to the picket lines on Tuesday over proposed changes to their contracts as part of government plans for a 'seven-day NHS'.

But Peston pointed out a seven-day NHS would not stop with junior doctors - it would require the rewriting of many more contracts across the health service.

He said the government was banking on doctors not wanting to launch the "nuclear option" of strikes which affect emergency care - but warned the two sides were playing a "very dangerous game of brinkmanship".

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants to extend normal working hours to include Saturdays - with a pay rise supposed to balance out the loss of extra weekend allowance - as part of the government's bid to tackle increased mortality rates at the weekend.

More than 14 hours into the first junior doctors' strike in 40 years, the divide between health staff and the government remains as wide as ever.

Thousands turned out to man picket lines, with routine appointments and operations postponed as a result, as the dispute over contract changes continues.

ITV News health editor Rachel Younger reports:

In numbers:

• 26,000 junior doctors were rostered on to work on the day shift today
• According to NHS England, 39% of them - around 10,000 - turned up. Most of those were in emergency care, which was not covered by strike action
• 71% of staff were on shift today - so more than a quarter were off
• 3,454 operations were postponed or cancelled as a result