Junior doctors in England are preparing to take part in their fourth walkout in their long-running contract dispute.
The 48-hour strike gets under way at 08:00 BST as doctors prepare legal challenges against the government’s decision to impose the changes to their pay and conditions from this summer.
Doctors are again providing emergency cover, but another 5,000 operations and procedures have been postponed.
It brings the total number of delays to care to 24,500 during the dispute.
Bosses at NHS England said the continued disruption was “deeply regrettable”.
But despite pleas for both sides to get back round the table, both the government and British Medical Association have remained adamant they will not budge from their positions.
Sources indicated there was now little dialogue between ministers and the union with the first ever walkouts of emergency care in the history of the NHS planned for the end of April.
The all-out stoppages will take place from 08:00 to 17:00 BST on 26 and 27 April and will see junior doctors refuse to staff A&E departments as well as emergency surgery and intensive care.
The British Medical Association said it had been left with “no choice” in its fight against the government’s plan to impose a new contract in which the profession has “no confidence”.
Ministers have said the changes, which will see doctors paid less for working weekends, are needed to improve care at weekends. This is disputed by the BMA, reports the BBC.
