Junior doctors in new strike action at Sheffield hospitals

Junior doctors are set to walk out of South Yorkshire hospitals again today as a contract dispute with the Government continues.
By The Newsroom
Published 10th Feb 2016, 07:10 BST
Updated 10th Feb 2016, 12:22 BST
Junior doctors at Weston Park, outside Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield, on a 24 hour strike on January 12 2016.Junior doctors at Weston Park, outside Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield, on a 24 hour strike on January 12 2016.
Junior doctors at Weston Park, outside Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield, on a 24 hour strike on January 12 2016.

Picket lines are to be formed outside the Northern General and Royal Hallamshire Hospitals in Sheffield, as well as Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Rotherham District General Hospital and Barnsley District General Hospital.

Action will take place for 24 hours from 8am today, Wednesday, with junior doctors providing only emergency care during this period.

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Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has said its emergency services will be ‘completely unaffected’ by the action but has said a ‘small number of non-urgent appointments may be re-booked’, with affected families being contacted.

The walkout comes after talks between the British Medical Association, NHS Employers and the Department of Health were unable to reach an agreement on the issue of unsocial hours.

The Government has said it is ‘fast approaching’ the time when it will implement a new junior doctors’ contract.

Health Minister Ben Gummer told MPs ‘we cannot delay this any longer’ and said latest estimates suggest 2,884 operations have been cancelled ahead of today’s strike.

Related topics:SheffieldSouth YorkshireGovernment