Junior doctors' strike results in almost 400 appointments cancelled at Northampton General Hospital

Thousands of doctors in England will not be providing routine and emergency care from 8am until 5pm.

It is the first time services such as A&E, maternity and intensive care have been hit in the long-running dispute between doctors and the Government over the imposition of a new contract.

A spokesman for Northampton General Hospital said the strike had led to cancelled procedures for 46 inpatient and day patients and 349 outpatient appointments had been moved.

Out of the 113 junior doctors scheduled to work today 77 were on strike and 36 came into work.

Further all-out strike action is due to take place on Wednesday, between 8am and 5pm.

As with other hospitals across the country, consultants, middle-grade doctors and nurses have been moved to provide cover for the emergency care departments.

Patients were advised of the cancellations ahead of the strike action.

Northampton General Hospital’s chief operating officer and deputy chief executive, Deborah Needham, said: “Our priority is to keep our patients safe.

“We have been working with nursing and medical colleagues to put robust plans in place to ensure our hospital remains completely safe during the proposed strike periods.

“However, we do need the wider public to understand the implications of the strike action and only use our A&E service if it is a real emergency.

“People can also help us by being on hand to provide support and transport to their family and friends who are being discharged from hospital. This avoids unnecessary delays and helps patients return home sooner.

“Unfortunately we have had to postpone planned surgery and outpatient appointments to ensure our staff are able to continue to deliver safe, high quality care to our patients in hospital and those who need us in an emergency. We are sorry for any inconvenience this causes, but patient safety is always our utmost priority.”