Summary

  • Junior doctors in England are taking part in a 24-hour strike on Tuesday 12 January 2016 in dispute with government

  • Emergency cover only being provided after 08:00 GMT

  • There are 55,000 junior doctors - about a third of the workforce

  • Three strikes are planned - the last in February will see doctors refuse to provide emergency care

  1. Tea run for London strikerspublished at 11:35 Greenwich Mean Time 12 January 2016

    Students from the Barts and The London School at Queen Mary University brought a welcome cuppa to junior doctors on strike at the Royal London Hospital.

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  2. Junior doctors 'already stretched'published at 11:27

    Quote Message

    At the moment, as junior doctors, we are already stretched with what we're currently doing. So the government may say we're not going to provide any more junior doctors, we're not going to change the pay and yet we're going to have more junior doctors working at weekends. And what we say is where are you getting these junior doctors from, you have to show us where this is coming from, because at the moment the maths doesn't add up and it seems that this is all political spin, unfortunately."

    Dr Sarah Hallett, A doctor at University College London

  3. NHS Employers' letter to Jeremy Huntpublished at 11:25

  4. NHS comment on Sandwell Hospital incidentpublished at 11:20

    Quote Message

    Sandwell Hospital has reported that it has been experiencing exceptional and sustained pressure. In line with the local agreement between the trust and the BMA, their medical director has asked junior doctors to return until such a time as the pressure is relieved. The local NHS is actively reviewing the situation to support the trust. Nationally, we are continuing to work closely with our BMA colleagues to ensure patient safety."

    Anne Rainsberry, national incident director for NHS England

  5. 'Beeping for the NHS'published at 11:19 Greenwich Mean Time 12 January 2016

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  6. Picket at Bradford Royal Infirmarypublished at 11:15

    Bradford Royal InfirmaryImage source, Dr Philip Bembridge

    Dr Philip Bembridge, who is on the picket line at Bradford Royal Infirmary, says it has had "overwhelming support" from the public. 

    He adds: "Everyone we have talked to today has been supportive and understanding. We feel that this strike is short-term disruption for long term safety for patients and the NHS. 

    "Fundamentally we don't want to work longer more unsafe hours for less pay. It is not fair, it is not safe." 

  7. Junior doctors on strike in South Tynesidepublished at 11:14

    Junior doctors from South Tyneside are also on strike today. Here is a picture of them from the picket line.

    Junior Doctors on strike in South TynesideImage source, Tim Richardson
  8. BBC journalist Twitter strike listpublished at 11:05 Greenwich Mean Time 12 January 2016

    Twitter pageImage source, Twitter

    If you want to follow BBC journalists covering the #juniordoctorsstrike on Twitter, then we've compiled a handy list, external for you to follow. 

  9. Doughnut donation from ambulance crewspublished at 11:01

    Doughnuts

    The BBC's Dominic Hughes says that these doughnuts were donated to the junior doctors on the picket line at Harrogate hospital, by local ambulance crews. Doesn't look like they're going to last long. 

  10. DH contract negotiations updatespublished at 10:56

    Department of Health web pageImage source, Department of Health

    The Department of Health has a web page, external dealing with the ongoing negotiations over junior doctors' pay. 

  11. Strike scene from Guy's Hospitalpublished at 10:49

    A junior doctor holding a signImage source, Getty Images

    This junior doctor was keen to put her point across outside Guy's Hospital in London. 

  12. Doctors hold 'privileged position'published at 10:37

    Here's a bit more from Jon Stanley, a junior doctor who isn't supporting the strike. 

    "I believe any worker in a free society has the right to withhold their labour. I think when you're a member of a profession that's given a huge amount of trust and regard by the public, the threshold for that has to be extremely high - particularly for trainees that are in a privileged position. 

    "I do think striking during your training period, it won't be held in a very high regard by some of our non-trained colleagues."

  13. Consultant takes to the wardspublished at 10:36

    BBC Southwest health correspondent tweets:

  14. Leeds junior doctors' picket linepublished at 10:29

    BBC Yorkshire health correspondent tweets:

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  15. Archive video shows 1975 junior doctor strikepublished at 10:28

    Junior doctors in 1975

    The last major strike over pay and conditions by junior doctors was more than 40 years ago in 1975. Our colleagues in the Rewind/Archive team have put together this video showing what happened at that time.

  16. Pay for on-call doctorspublished at 10:27

    Dr Francesca Silman is a junior doctor who says doctors are not trying to get more money.

    "I just want to make it really clear that at no point have doctors asked for an increase in their pay, and right from the beginning the government and our union agreed that the pay packet over all would be the same."

  17. 'Lack of trust' behind breakdownpublished at 10:19

    Sir Robert Francis QC, who led the public inquiry into the Stafford Hospital scandal, says he understands the anger felt by junior doctors but that striking is not the solution.

    "Lying behind a lot of this is a lack of trust. When the employers say they will not impose excessive hours on doctors, the doctors don't believe them. 

    "And I think it's issues of that nature, of trust, that actually need to be sorted out. And I'm afraid industrial action will not solve that."  

  18. BMA tells Sandwell doctors to remain on strikepublished at 10:09

    Following the news that Sandwell Hospital in the West Midlands has asked its junior doctors to abandon their strike action and return to their posts, the British Medical Association has issued the following statement: 

    “Junior doctors should continue with industrial action until NHS England has confirmed and the BMA has agreed – via the agreed escalation process – that a major unpredictable incident is taking place for a specific Trust.  

    "The BMA will notify members as soon as such an incident is in place.”

  19. A junior doctor not backing strike actionpublished at 10:08

    Dr Jon Stanley

    Dr Jon Stanley is a junior doctor who does not support the strike by his colleagues.

    He told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme he had concerns over the strike ballot, which he says was held months ago "in conditions that are very different to what they are today".

    He also said he was concerned about the "general safety and welfare of patients".

    He added: "Many parts of the country have been very severely affected by flooding. Operations in clinics have been cancelled in these areas already, and I'm very disappointed that the BMA has chosen to extend its strike action to these areas."

  20. Sandwell confirms juniors called back to workpublished at 09:56

    Dr Roger Stedman, medical director at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, says in a statement: "Over the last two days we have had very high numbers of patients come to hospital, and fewer than usual discharged.

    "Because of that we decided to require trainee doctors allocated to ward work to attend Sandwell during today's strike."