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Junior doctors strike: Hunt labels first all-out action a 'bleak day' for NHS - live Junior doctors strike: Hunt labels first all-out action a 'bleak day' for NHS - live
(35 minutes later)
10.40am BST
10:40
Frances Perraudin
Colin, a taxi driver from Liverpool, has joined the picket line outside the Royal Liverpool University hospital to show his support for the junior doctors, reports Frances Perraudin.
His eldest son, now 34, had a heart transplant aged 13 and another of his children suffers from epilepsy. Colin says he owes the NHS everything.
“If I ever came into big money, I would give it to a hospital and buy them equipment,” he says. “If I gave money to the government, they’d just squander it. I don’t blame the junior doctors going on strike. I blame Mr Hunt... He’s got a horrible smirk on his face and Dennis Skinner at 84 years of age picked him up on that.”
“The more people support the doctors the better it will be for the patients,” he says. “They’re not in it for the money. It’s about patient safety. If you’re tired you can’t write. If I’m tired I can’t drive because people’s lives are at risk. It’s the same with junior doctors. It costs money to keep people alive, but at the end of the day that’s why working class people pay taxes and national insurance.”
Colin, a taxi driver, has come to the picket line in L'pool to show support. His son had a heart transplant aged 13. pic.twitter.com/aNeNciyYBg
10.34am BST
10:34
Steven Morris
Danielle Jeffreys, 27, is one of those quitting England when her core training ends in August. She’s taking up a post in Scotland. Many of her colleagues are off to Australia.
She said:
I feel quite burnt out, I feel very overworked at the moment an I need a change and this is a job that is something different. It’s not just working on the wards, it’s also doing a bit of research and also in Scotland they’re not imposing the contract.
Strike - junior doctor Danielle Jeffreys who is leaving Bournemouth for Scotland. https://t.co/xFhfhGxuBb
10.34am BST
10:34
Damien Gayle
At Kings College, an activist with the Young Socialists is trying to drum up support for a march on the TUC to lobby for a general strike.
The 27-year-old, who declined to give his name, said: “Trade union leaders have the power to call the country to a halt and to ask other sectors of society - teachers, bus drivers - to come out in solidarity with the junior doctors. At the moment they have not done enough to support the junior doctors or defend the NHS, and most of society depend on the NHS.
Trade union leaders represent all of society, apart from the junior doctors. They can show more solidarity by calling a general strike. This could bring the government down and that’s the only way out. The junior doctors are fighting alone.”
Young socialists call for general strike to support #juniordoctors. Revolution now! #JuniorDoctorsStrike #ToriesOut pic.twitter.com/8c3IpgvJ2O
10.28am BST
10:28
Here are some images from the picket line at King’s College hospital, in south London:
10.18am BST
10:18
The Guardian’s Healthcare Network has a gallery of illustrations of junior doctors striking.
Related: Junior doctors go on strike – in illustrations
10.04am BST10.04am BST
10:0410:04
Aisha GaniAisha Gani
Doctors tell me more strikers have turned out on the picket line this time than before, with some estimating numbers at 200. There has been much public support - passers-by have taken stickers, shaken the hands of doctors and and wished them luck. Cyclists rang their bells while motorists beeped their horns. Sara, who works in mental health, said her department suffers when cuts are announced and doesn’t automatically get the support it needs.Doctors tell me more strikers have turned out on the picket line this time than before, with some estimating numbers at 200. There has been much public support - passers-by have taken stickers, shaken the hands of doctors and and wished them luck. Cyclists rang their bells while motorists beeped their horns. Sara, who works in mental health, said her department suffers when cuts are announced and doesn’t automatically get the support it needs.
“I often think of patients who come to A&E in the middle of the night at crisis point and need the consistency of doctors and need the time. It’s not quick,” she said.“I often think of patients who come to A&E in the middle of the night at crisis point and need the consistency of doctors and need the time. It’s not quick,” she said.
Spoke to Sara who works in mental health and said her department is first to get cut #JuniorDoctorsStrike pic.twitter.com/2YDou0YK9GSpoke to Sara who works in mental health and said her department is first to get cut #JuniorDoctorsStrike pic.twitter.com/2YDou0YK9G
10.01am BST10.01am BST
10:0110:01
Here’s the latest message to Jeremy Hunt from the BMA council chair, Dr Mark Porter:Here’s the latest message to Jeremy Hunt from the BMA council chair, Dr Mark Porter:
‘We continue to urge the Secretary of State to put patient care before political dogma’ #juniorcontract pic.twitter.com/zTTlVRhgtG‘We continue to urge the Secretary of State to put patient care before political dogma’ #juniorcontract pic.twitter.com/zTTlVRhgtG
For the sake of patients, the long term future of the NHS and future generations o junior doctors on whose expertise and commitment we all depend, we continue to urge the secretary of state to put patient care before political dogma.For the sake of patients, the long term future of the NHS and future generations o junior doctors on whose expertise and commitment we all depend, we continue to urge the secretary of state to put patient care before political dogma.
9.56am BST9.56am BST
09:5609:56
Steven MorrisSteven Morris
Josh Goan is a second year junior doctor who would be at work at the acute medical unit at the Royal Bournemouth hospital. His emotions? Shock, sadness but also insulted at how he feels the government is treating the junior doctors. He makes an interesting point about the government’s suggestion that junior doctors don’t have the skills to analyse things like contracts. He says sifting information, making judgements is a huge part of their job. Josh Gaon is a second year junior doctor who would be at work at the acute medical unit at the Royal Bournemouth hospital. His emotions? Shock, sadness but also insulted at how he feels the government is treating the junior doctors. He makes an interesting point about the government’s suggestion that junior doctors don’t have the skills to analyse things like contracts. He says sifting information, making judgements is a huge part of their job.
Doctors strike - junior dr Josh Gaon outside the Royal Bournemouth hospital. His emotions: shocked, sad, insulted https://t.co/FKyu7Hh7BkDoctors strike - junior dr Josh Gaon outside the Royal Bournemouth hospital. His emotions: shocked, sad, insulted https://t.co/FKyu7Hh7Bk
Updated
at 10.42am BST
9.47am BST9.47am BST
09:4709:47
Some of the more playful placards from the picket lines.Some of the more playful placards from the picket lines.
Easily the best sign I've seen from the #JuniorDoctorsStrike so far https://t.co/4SitVHjajG pic.twitter.com/LjJ2r1UQFjEasily the best sign I've seen from the #JuniorDoctorsStrike so far https://t.co/4SitVHjajG pic.twitter.com/LjJ2r1UQFj
Undoubtably of the most creative signs I've seen #JuniorDoctorsStrike pic.twitter.com/Sv4e44cYvqUndoubtably of the most creative signs I've seen #JuniorDoctorsStrike pic.twitter.com/Sv4e44cYvq
And this tweetAnd this tweet
Solidarity #JuniorDoctorsStrike Let's put our foot down & sack #SmirkingHunt pic.twitter.com/4sR8oBLfvvSolidarity #JuniorDoctorsStrike Let's put our foot down & sack #SmirkingHunt pic.twitter.com/4sR8oBLfvv
9.45am BST9.45am BST
09:4509:45
This is a nice image from Hammersmith hospital, in west London:This is a nice image from Hammersmith hospital, in west London:
A patient came from his hospital bed to give us his thanks and support ❤️😭 - this is why we'll never stop fighting pic.twitter.com/CBMxAkAVMvA patient came from his hospital bed to give us his thanks and support ❤️😭 - this is why we'll never stop fighting pic.twitter.com/CBMxAkAVMv
9.41am BST
09:41
Damien Gayle
Jake Osborne, 45, who runs staff support groups for doctors and nurses, says staff are demoralised.
Standing on the picket line wearing a National Health Alliance placard, he said: “I get to hear how the staff are feeling about their jobs. People are definitely more disillusioned, more fed up - especially around not having enough recruitment, not having enough staff and having to bring in agency people. They cost twice as much, they don’t know the patients, they don’t know how to do things on the ward. That’s the thing which comes up the most. It’s just a complete lack of planning from the government.”
#JuniorDoctorsStrike placards at Kings College Hospital pic.twitter.com/kkSXMypxvl
9.41am BST
09:41
There has been much debate around the strength of participation in previous strikes with the NHS/department of health claiming that around 45% of junior doctors have showed up for work during previous walkouts.
However, those figures have been pretty meaningless as emergency care workers were not striking and no indication was given of how many of those who did work were rostered to emergency services.
This time, a clearer picture should be available, given that it is the first all-out walkout, including junior doctors working in emergency care.
Given that context, this is an interesting tweet from the chair of the BMA’s junior doctors committee:
One teaching hospital reports 100% participation in #JuniorDoctorsStrike today when take out doctors one leave and on nights! #hunteffect
9.36am BST
09:36
We would like to hear from healthcare professionals about what they are doing on strike days. Junior doctors, how do you feel about an all-out strike? What are the consequences for patient care? We would also like to hear from others who are working on strike days – for example, consultants, nurses, healthcare assistants, GPs, porters and administration staff. How are you coping? How do you feel about junior doctors carrying out an all-out strike?
Related: Healthcare staff, how do you feel about an all-out junior doctors' strike?
9.28am BST
09:28
This Guardian video explains the reasons behind the dispute:
Updated
at 9.28am BST
9.25am BST
09:25
The BMA has been keen to stress that in the absence of junior doctors, more senior colleagues (consultants) will be covering emergency care.
This tweet shows consultants stepping in for their striking colleagues at St Mary’s hospital, in London.
Good morning. Experienced consultants providing expert care to our emergency patients on #JuniorDoctorsStrike day pic.twitter.com/SVv63u0JYw
9.20am BST
09:20
Damien Gayle
Benedict Porter, 26, F1 general medicine at Kings College hospital, in Camberwell, south London, said that although he and his colleagues are labelled “juniors” many of them in fact fill senior roles (junior doctors is a catch-all for all doctors below consultant) and can be running the hospital overnight.
Fundamentally NHS services are already overstretched and we already provide emergency services seven days a week. What the government want to do is provide non-emergency services on the weekend like outpatient appointments and surgery for things that are not emergencies or life-threatening.
They are also cutting out-of-hours pay so it means specialisms that require a lot of out of hours work are going to be penalised. People are not going to apply for those anymore. It’s going to have a really bad effect.
Benedict Porter, 26, f1 General medicine, at Kings College explains why he's joined the #JuniorDoctorsStrike pic.twitter.com/3o4L3TyvNj
9.16am BST
09:16
Denis Campbell
On Monday, junior doctors were alerted via the online junior doctors contract forum that the Guardian wanted to hear from someone who was not striking today, so that they could explain their thinking - even anonymously - for crossing a picketline.
Few people responded, which may indicate that participation in today’s walkout may be high. But one of those who did reply was Dr Amit Mukherjee, a trainee psychiatrist in London. He had this to say.
I am not participating in the strike tomorrow as I have taken emergency leave to look after my ill father in India.
Things are very different here. We as a family are using our savings to fund my dad’s chemotherapy. A while ago when dad was admitted, we had to pay for everything in hospital, including the price of gloves and syringes. My uncle in India died a few months ago and we had to pay for the ambulance to bring his body from hospital.
In my humble view, only those who are ready to accept the above types of situation should carry on as usual during the junior doctors strike. The rest should support the junior doctors in order to save the NHS before it is destroyed.
9.14am BST
09:14
Aisha Gani
Dennis Skinner the senior Labour MP, aka the Beast of Bolsover, has put in an appearance at St Thomas’ hospital. While a doctor attached a BMA badge on his jacket, he said: “I’m here today because I support them (the doctors).”
He said doctors at helped when he had his heart and cancer operations: ”They were there for my hour of need and now here for them.”
Dennis Skinner the Beast of Bolsover tells doctors and media why he's supporting the strike pic.twitter.com/aw3eCB7ORX
9.08am BST
09:08
Steven Morris
Steven Morris at the Royal Bournemouth hospital says there is no sign yet of any patients turning against the junior doctors.
Phillip Macdonald, 59, stopped his powered wheelchair outside the main entrance to voice his support for the strike and shake hands with the medics.
“I want them to keep going until the government starts listening to them,” he said. “I don’t want doctors who are too tired to think to be caring for us. They deserve more than this government is giving them. Someone is going to die if they don’t start listening to the doctors. I’m completely behind them.”
Josephine Bintcliffe, 60, was arriving for a pre-assessment ahead of an operation. “I don’t care how long I have to wait today. These doctors are in the right. Jeremy Hunt is completely wrong.”
The hospital has put out a statement explaining how it will cope. It said: “The safety of our patients is our number one priority, so we will ensure our emergency services are covered at all times. However to achieve this more planned operations/procedures and outpatient appointments will have to be cancelled than before. This builds upon the number of cancellations from the four previous strikes.”
Basil Fozard, medical director at the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals trust, said: “We have to ensure that our patients in our emergency department and our inpatients receive high standards of care and that we maintain a safe service around the clock, so we are going to be redeploying staff from around the trust to ensure this. Unfortunately this will inevitably have a knock-on effect on appointments, and we apologise to all those affected.”
Doctors strike. Bournemouth patient Josephine Bintcliffe on why she is backing the strike. https://t.co/WRdQgYIZo9
9.01am BST
09:01
Picket numbers at Kings College are picking up now, reports Damien Gayle. Some doctors have emerged dazed from night shifts, while bleary-eyed others have got upearly to attend.
Jack Grenville (picture attached), 32, a foundation year two doctor working in respiratory medicine, said he was on the picket “to demonstrate our staunch opposition to the government’s approach to the negotiations and the unsafe and unfair contract.”
He went on: “The government says the only issue remaining is Saturday pay, and that’s just not true. There are so many problems with this contract that I believe there should be a moratorium and we should go back to the drawing board. It’s unworkable the government has consistently misappropriated statistics and lied in order to justify its position.