Strike doctors: We had no other choice

Passing drivers honked their horns to show support as the group, who work at the hospital, walked out on strike at 8am yesterday and lined up outside the entrance.

Some held banners and placards – one of which read "More hours. Same number of doctors. Not safe or fair".

The protests were part of a national day of strike action which saw about 4,000 routine treatments, including knee and hip replacements, postponed.

Sam Craik, who works on the cardiology ward and is in his first year, joined the picket line outside the Princess Royal Hospital yesterday.

Jeremy Hunt has urged the British Medical Association to return to the negotiating table instead of carrying on with "unnecessary strikes" after the first walkout by junior doctors in 40 years.

The Health Secretary said the union should hold fresh talks with the Government about "how to improve patient safety" following the breakdown of negotiations over the contract.

He said: "The right thing to do is to sit round the table and talk to the Government about how we improve patient safety and patient care, not these very unnecessary strikes."

Mr Hunt said that "nearly 40 per cent of junior doctors" had turned up to work.

He said: "This is a wholly unnecessary dispute. We want all NHS patients to have the confidence that they will get the same high-quality care every day of the week.

"At the moment, for example, if you have a stroke at the weekends you are 20 per cent more likely to die. That cannot be right and that's something that every doctor wants to sort out as well."

Setting out his plans for a seven-day service, he added: "We recognise that if doctors are too tired they are not going to be able to give safe care to patients.

"But right now what happens is when a junior doctor is asked to work at weekends – which they do a lot – they go into an A&E department where, for example, there will be half as many consultants working on a Sunday compared to a weekday despite it being one of the busiest days."

A spokesman for the British Medical Association said the figure of almost 40 per cent was unsurprising.

He added: "Since we asked junior doctors who would be covering emergency care to go into work it is hardly surprising that they have done so."

The 26-year-old, of Wellington, said: "We are already working long hours. They are trying to bring in changes that will make things less safe for us.

"They are taking away safeguards that exist which stop the NHS from overworking us. The penalties are being dampened down by the new proposals. It's dangerous for the patients and the doctors."

Celyn Kenny, who works in paediatrics, said: "I feel angry at the fact the health secretary feels he can take on a whole profession, that he has caused us to do this and made us look bad in standing up for what we believe is right for patients."

The 25-year-old, of Llanelli in South Wales, said the situation facing junior doctors was "dangerous".

He added: "If we don't stand up now, the knock-on effect in the future will be disastrous."

Also joining the picket line was Stefan Bodnarescu, who is a second year junior doctor and works in the trauma and orthopaedics department.

The 27-year-old, of Telford, said: "We are thinking about the long term future of the junior doctors and the NHS. I went to work for the NHS because it's one of the best healthcare systems in the world. We know it needs to progress and evolve. We are concerned that the current proposed contract is going to work against us."

Pat McCarthy, from campaign group Shropshire Defend Our NHS, also turned out to the picket line to offer his support.

He said: "This strike is about pay and conditions for junior doctors. It is yet another attack on the NHS.

"If the junior doctors lose this and end up working for longer hours for less pay it is going to demoralise the staff and make the service less useful for patients."

NHS England said about 10,000 junior doctors had reported for duty out of 26,000 scheduled to work the day shift across England.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said the strike sent a "clear message" to the Government. Dr Johann Malawana, BMA junior doctors committee chair, said: "With junior doctors attending more than 150 pickets up and down England, the action sends a clear message to Jeremy Hunt and David Cameron.

"Junior doctors in their thousands have made it quite clear what they think of the Government's plans to impose contracts in which junior doctors have no confidence.

"The action – one the BMA has long sought to avoid – is a result of a fundamental breakdown in trust with junior doctors, for which the Government is directly responsible.

"This has only been made worse by Monday's last-minute, inept and heavy-handed attempts to bully junior doctors lawfully taking industrial action back into work.

"We deeply regret the level of disruption caused, but this is a fight for the long term safety of patients and junior doctors' working lives.

"We want a contract that is safe for patients, fair for juniors and good for the NHS. It is well past the time for Jeremy Hunt to take account of their fears and listen to what they are saying."

The second of three planned strikes is scheduled for January 26. The third one is scheduled for February 10 where doctors are threatening a full withdrawal of labour from 8am to 5pm.