Junior doctors strike over changes to conditions and pay which 'put patients at risk'

Bosses at Southampton General Hospital and Royal County Hospital in Winchester have planned to scrap a series of non-urgent operations and clinics to meet the staff shortages as medics down tools and take to the picket lines.

Senior managers at both hospitals refused to disclose how many appointments have been axed but stressed they have done all they can to ensure there are enough staff cover the shortages while all patients affected by cancellations have been contacted.

It comes as Prime Minister David Cameron last night made an eleventh hour plea for doctors to call off the strikes - warning medics actions will "damage" the NHS at one of the busiest times of year due to winter pressures.

Today junior doctors will provide emergency care only from 8am until 8am tomorrow morning - followed by a 48-hour stoppage and the provision of emergency care only from 8am next Tuesday [January 26].

On Wednesday, February 10, there will be a full walk-out from 8am to 5pm.

NHS England yesterday said there will be around 4,000 cancellations in total nationally - of which 3,400 are today.

Staff feel they have no choice but to walk out over changes to their contracts they say will put patients "lives at risk" by overworking doctors and leaving them prone to exhaustion and mistakes.

Both hospitals are cancelling a number non-urgent theatre lists and and outpatient clinic and additional consultants are being called in to replace their junior colleagues expected to walk out.

But emergency departments will be operating as normal and patients with unaffected appointments are urged to turn up as normal.

Doctors will be holding a picket from 8am-11am this morning outside Southampton General Hospital followed by a protest outside WestQuay from 11.30am-2pm.