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Thousands of junior doctors walk out for second day over contract row

Thousands of junior doctors across England are preparing for a second day of strike action over a row with the Government about a new contract.

Junior doctors will provide emergency care only from 8am today as part of a 48-hour strike which began on Wednesday. Two further 48-hour strikes are planned for April 8 and April 26.

The strikes have led to the cancellation of thousands of operations and procedures.

NHS England said urgent and emergency care services will be available as normal but hospitals are expected to be under extra pressure.

It comes after Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he will impose the contract on junior doctors - everyone up to consultant level - after talks with the British Medical Association failed to reach a resolution.

The new contracts are due to be imposed in August.

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Thousands walk out in third junior doctors strike

Thousands of junior doctors walked out today in their third strike over proposed contract changes.

Talks have now resumed in the hope that further planned industrial action can be avoided in future.

ITV News health editor Rachel Younger reports:

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BMA accuses government of 'mishandling the NHS'

Chair of the British Medical Association junior doctors committee, Dr Johann Malawana, has accused the government of "mishandling the NHS" and the current dispute over contracts.

Speaking as junior doctors stage another 48-hour strike over the row, Dr Malawana said the industrial action was "deeply regrettable".

He also urged Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene in the dispute.

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Patients Association: Survival of the NHS in danger

The Patients Association has said "the survival of the NHS itself is in danger" because of the ongoing dispute between the government and junior doctors over contracts.

The Patients Association believes 'the survival of the NHS itself is in danger' Credit: Andrew Matthews / PA Wire/PA Images

The Patients Association has watched the continuing dispute between the Government and the junior doctors with growing concern. So far each occurrence of strike action has led to around 3,000 cancelled operations for patients per day.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the arguments put forward by either side, the failure to resolve the differences by agreement is bad for doctors, bad for the taxpayer, but above all bad for patients and the NHS.

Indeed, we believe that the survival of the NHS itself is in danger. Repeated industrial action can only increase the risks to patients. Both will continue the destruction of trust between staff and their employers, and erode the public’s confidence in the service.

– Statement from the Patients Association

Poll suggests majority of public support junior doctors

A picket line outside Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. Credit: Tom Pugh / PA Wire/PA Images

The majority of the public support junior doctors in their dispute with the government over contracts according to an Ipsos MORI poll for BBC News.

Public support for the latest strike is as high as it was for the first two stoppages earlier this year, with 65% of 860 adults in England supporting the action.

The survey found most people still think the Government is most at fault for the dispute, but a rising number believe equal blame should be shared by the Government and doctors' leaders.

Some 57% said the Government was most at fault for the dispute continuing this long, down from 64% in February, while the number saying junior doctors were most at fault remained around 11%.

Junior doctor says NHS morale at 'an all-time low'

A striking junior doctor has said morale across the NHS was now at "an all-time low" as industrial action begins in England for 48 hours.

A striking junior doctor has said morale across the NHS is at 'an all-time low'. Credit: Chris Radburn/PA Wire

Orthopaedic registrar Christopher Gee said "doctors feel they have been backed into a corner."

It is very frustrating...

We all very conclusively believe we have no other choice but to strike. We are trying to do everything we can to get the Government to listen.

The junior doctors' contract is a significant patient safety issue. There is a recruitment crisis in the NHS - doctors and nurses are already stretched.

Trying to stretch services further when there hasn't been any proper planning is essentially dangerous for patients.

– Orthopaedic registrar Christopher Gee
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