Thousands of doctors' appointments hit by walkout

Junior doctors are set to begin the longest strike in NHS history

Almost ten thousand operations and outpatient appointments were rescheduled in south-east England during the junior doctor strike last month.

The walkout between the December 20 and 23 led to 1,329 elective procedures and 8,480 outpatient appointments being rescheduled, recently released figures reveal.

A further six-day strike by British Medical Association (BMA) members will begin at 07:00 GMT on Wednesday across England.

Medical director for NHS England, Sir Stephen Powis, has warned that it will have a significant impact on routine care.

Junior doctors picketed the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton during December's strike

He also said hospitals were having to deal with rising rates of flu, Covid and other winter infections.

If this week's strike goes ahead as planned, it will be the longest continuous stretch of industrial action in the history of the NHS.

The BMA said patient safety remains a top priority.

Junior doctors make up around half of all doctors working in hospitals.

During the December strike a total of 10,114 days were lost in the South East as doctors were not available to work due to the industrial action.

The figures relate the government definition of the South East, which includes Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and a handful of other local authority areas.