Summary

  • Junior doctors in England are taking part in the second day of an all-out strike between 08:00 and 17:00 BST

  • Action affects emergency, maternity and intensive care for the first time in the long-running dispute

  • Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt describes it as "bleak day" for NHS

  • Junior doctors are angry at the government's imposition of a new contract

  • The new contract makes it cheaper to rota doctors on at weekends, as part of plans for a seven-day NHS

Live Reporting

Alex Therrien and Rob Corp

  1. Hunt depicted as spider

    Political cartoonist Steve Bell's work appears in the Guardian today with a sketch depicting Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt as a spider with a pointed nose threatening to stab striking junior doctors.

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  2. TV's Nick Knowles wades into junior doctor debate

    On Channel 5's The Wright Stuff on Tuesday, the television presenter Nick Knowles gave a strong defence of the doctors' strike, despite probing questions from the show's host Matthew Wright.

    Knowles's arguments were later applauded by the BMA's chairman of the junior doctors committee, Johann Malawana.

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  3. Jeremy Hunt: 'I want job for five years'

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  4. Jeremy Hunt: Strike action 'disproportionate'

    Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told BBC's Newsnight that "withdrawing emergency care from those that depend on you is a very disproportionate action". 

    He said the argument was about weekend pay and for professionals to withdraw emergency care was "a step too far". 

    He said the government was putting £3.8bn into the NHS this year and part of that was to pay for the extra costs of a seven-day service. 

  5. Hunt: 'It's fair'

    Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt tells the BBC: "It's a fair contract.

    "We do need to bring down the premiums paid on Saturdays."  

    He also said that the funding the government was planning to give the NHS was the "sixth biggest increase in its history".

  6. Jeremy Hunt: 'Doctors don't understand contract'

    Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt tells BBC Newsnight: "The BMA were not prepared to negotiate.

    "Many doctors don't understand the contents of the new contract."

  7. Other unions support the BMA

    The junior doctors' strike has also accrued support from other unions, such as the National Union of Teachers, which joined doctors out on the picket line.

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  8. What's the impact of the doctors' strike?

    What's the impact of the junior doctors strike?

    Junior doctors in England are striking on Tuesday and Wednesday. But what impact has the strike had on services?

    What's the impact of doctors' strike?

    Junior doctors in England are striking on Tuesday and Wednesday. But what impact has the strike had on services?

    Read More

  9. 'I hope it isn't a miners' strike moment'

    Jeremy Hunt tells Channel 4 News

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  10. 'The government has an opportunity to settle this'

    Corbyn and McDonnell march with the doctors

    John McDonnell and Jeremy Hunt on the doctors strike marchEPA

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joined thousands of junior doctors as they marched through Whitehall. 

    Leading the march from St Thomas' Hospital and flanked by shadow chancellor John McDonnell, he said: "The government has an opportunity to settle this, they should get on and do so." 

    Mr McDonnell said Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt would eventually have to back down amid sustained pressure from junior doctors. 

    Jeremy Corbyn speaking to protestorsPA

    Mr Corbyn told the crowd of protesters: "Not all Jeremys are bad."

  11. Pictures from the picket line

    Junior doctors staged a protest outside the Department of Health in Whitehall.PA

    Junior doctors staged a protest outside the Department of Health in Whitehall.

    Hundreds took to the streets outside the Houses of Parliament as part of the dispute over pay and better working conditionsEPA

    Hundreds took to the streets outside the Houses of Parliament as part of the protest over a new contract that the government announced in February would be imposed from the summer.

    Picketers on Westminster Bridge in LondonAP

    It was the first all-out strike in the history of the National Health Service.

  12. Another angry man - backing the junior doctors

    Junior doctor and BMA tweet...

  13. Picket line anger: Man criticises strike action

    Filmed outside the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, a member of the public voices his opposition to the strike action   

    The man had some harsh words for doctors on strike in Nottingham

  14. Jeremy Corbyn joins protest march

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joined thousands of junior doctors as they marched through Whitehall following a day of strikes

    Jeremy Corbyn and junior doctorPA

  15. 'Doctors return to work, but not for long'

    Nick Triggle
    Health Correspondent

    Junior doctors have returned to work, but not for long. 

    The next walkout starts at 08:00 BST on Wednesday. 

    Between now and then the challenge will be to get on top of what is happening on wards. 

    By all accounts, hospitals have run pretty smoothly. 

    But what has probably suffered is some of the routine ward work - chasing tests, preparing patients for discharge.

    Doctors will now be trying to get a handle on this before tomorrow’s stoppage. 

    There could also be a rise in patients coming to A&E now the first walkout has ended.

  16. History of junior doctors' contract negotiations

    Department of Health tweets...

    The Department of Health has put out a short video of what it describes as a history of the contract negotiations. 

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  17. 'Incredibly damaging episode in the NHS's history'

    BBC News Channel

    Mr Malawana rejected suggestions the dispute was political for the BMA. 

    "Let's face it, that's a ridiculous statement, to turn these frontline doctors into some political pawn," he said. 

    Mr Malawana said the public understood the way to solve an industrial dispute was by "talking to the staff".

    Mr Malawana accused Jeremy Hunt of "hiding away" from talks, describing it as an "incredibly damaging episode in the NHS's history". 

  18. BMA chair: Dispute can only be resolved by talking

    BBC News Channel

    Johann Malawana

    Johann Malawana, chair of the Junior Doctors Committee of the British Medical Association, said the BMA last week wrote to Jeremy Hunt, asking for him to withdraw the imposition of the new contract and negotiate again.

    Mr Malawana said the only way the dispute could be resolved "is by talking". 

    Responding to suggestions patient care had been put at risk by the strike, Mr Malawana said "some of the most trained staff, the consultants, the specialists doctors" had been providing care in A&E and maternity units. 

    He said: 

    Why does is take that to happen? Why is the secretary of state today finally, after weeks and months of being locked away in Richmond House, has got out into the public and talking about this when actually we should be talking about why all these staff are out on the streets. Why aren't they talking to us, why aren't they trying to solve the problems of the NHS?"

  19. Tuesday's strike over

    The first day of the junior doctors' all-out strike has finished. 

    Health bosses said hospitals in England had been coping well with the strike, the first in the history of the NHS.

    A second day of action will take place on Wednesday, from 08:00 to 17:00 BST.  

  20. Patient: 'All running smoothly'

    I just had to attend A&E at St Thomas' for an urgent but fairly minor problem. I was told my problem would normally be dealt with by a junior doctor but today I saw a consultant instead. No extra delays. There's lots of consultants around and extra nurses. All seems to be running smoothly, contrary to what Hunt and co were implying!    

    Catherine, from London