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| Hospitals braced for 24-hour doctor strike | Hospitals braced for 24-hour doctor strike |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Hospitals in England are braced for another day of disruption as junior doctors take part in a second 24-hour strike over pay and conditions. | Hospitals in England are braced for another day of disruption as junior doctors take part in a second 24-hour strike over pay and conditions. |
| NHS bosses said more than 2,800 non-emergency operations had been cancelled in advance of the walkout, which gets under way at 08:00 GMT. | NHS bosses said more than 2,800 non-emergency operations had been cancelled in advance of the walkout, which gets under way at 08:00 GMT. |
| Routine check-ups, appointments and tests are also likely to be disrupted. | Routine check-ups, appointments and tests are also likely to be disrupted. |
| The stoppage comes amid mounting speculation that ministers may soon seek to impose a contract. | The stoppage comes amid mounting speculation that ministers may soon seek to impose a contract. |
| The BBC understands talks have started taking place within government after NHS bosses told ministers that if they wanted to see a new contract introduced, they would have to make their move this month to ensure it was in place by the summer. | The BBC understands talks have started taking place within government after NHS bosses told ministers that if they wanted to see a new contract introduced, they would have to make their move this month to ensure it was in place by the summer. |
| It raises the possibility of a series of rolling strikes as the dispute threatens to escalate even further. | It raises the possibility of a series of rolling strikes as the dispute threatens to escalate even further. |
| Talks hosted by conciliation service Acas broke down at the end of January and despite some informal discussions behind the scenes, there is thought to be little prospect of them restarting. | Talks hosted by conciliation service Acas broke down at the end of January and despite some informal discussions behind the scenes, there is thought to be little prospect of them restarting. |
| The key sticking point appears to be payments for working on Saturdays. | The key sticking point appears to be payments for working on Saturdays. |
| The British Medical Association (BMA) wants the whole day to be classed as outside of normal working hours and therefore attracting an unsociable hours premium, whereas ministers want the hours between 07:00 and 17:00 to be paid at the basic rate. | The British Medical Association (BMA) wants the whole day to be classed as outside of normal working hours and therefore attracting an unsociable hours premium, whereas ministers want the hours between 07:00 and 17:00 to be paid at the basic rate. |
| 'Desperation' | |
| There are more than 50,000 junior doctors in England - the term covers those who are fresh out of medical school through to others who have a decade of experience behind them. | |
| BMA junior doctor leader Johann Malawana said the government should not force a contract on doctors and should "put [the] NHS before politics, patients before machismo". | |
| "Imposition is a sign of desperation and loss of control," he added. | "Imposition is a sign of desperation and loss of control," he added. |
| But Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the BMA was the "only reason" a solution had not been found. | But Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the BMA was the "only reason" a solution had not been found. |
| Want to know more? | Want to know more? |
| The junior doctors row explained | The junior doctors row explained |
| What patients need to know | What patients need to know |
| How close did both sides get to a deal? | How close did both sides get to a deal? |
| What exactly do junior doctors do? | What exactly do junior doctors do? |
| How does your job compare? | How does your job compare? |
| Analysis: Why should we care? | Analysis: Why should we care? |
| The walkout comes after doctors took part in strike action on 12 January, which led to 4,000 operations and treatments being cancelled - one in 10 of the total. | The walkout comes after doctors took part in strike action on 12 January, which led to 4,000 operations and treatments being cancelled - one in 10 of the total. |
| During Wednesday's strike, junior doctors will once again be providing emergency cover, while consultants will still be working in hospitals and GPs in the community. | |
| Dr Anne Rainsberry, of NHS England, said the health service was doing "everything possible to minimise the impact". | |
| But she said it was inevitable the strike would "delay care for thousands of patients at a time of year when service pressures across the health service are already at their highest". | But she said it was inevitable the strike would "delay care for thousands of patients at a time of year when service pressures across the health service are already at their highest". |
| "We will monitor the situation across the country to ensure plans are in place, and people are ready to respond to any significant increases in pressure in any region over the period of this strike," she added. | "We will monitor the situation across the country to ensure plans are in place, and people are ready to respond to any significant increases in pressure in any region over the period of this strike," she added. |
| In other developments, it has emerged: | In other developments, it has emerged: |
| Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, urged the two sides to reach a deal. | Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, urged the two sides to reach a deal. |
| "Thousands of patients have already had their operations and appointments cancelled and even more will suffer the same fate as a consequence of this next day of action. | "Thousands of patients have already had their operations and appointments cancelled and even more will suffer the same fate as a consequence of this next day of action. |
| "A lasting agreement must be found to prevent still further disruption for patients and raise the morale of hard-working junior doctors." | "A lasting agreement must be found to prevent still further disruption for patients and raise the morale of hard-working junior doctors." |
| Are you taking part in today's industrial action? Are you a patient whose operation has been cancelled due to the strike? Let us know about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories. | |
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