There are around 100 doctors and supporters on the picket line outside Southampton General Hospital this morning.

People have been coming and going and the atmosphere is quieter than previous walkouts - although there are also anti-strike protesters on the scene.

Many doctors are happy to discuss the contract amongst themselves but there are some waving banners and greeting honks from passing motorists.

Oliver Harrison, a heart surgery research fellow at Southampton General, celebrated his 30th birthday last week and thought he'd bring along his commemorative cookie to lighten the mood.

He said: "It seems counterintuitive that we're stood outside the hospital while the consultants are covering our work, but the real reason we're doing it is because this is the way we feel we can get across our concerns about what will be the risk to the NHS under the new contract."

Cheryl Walton and Frances Ross are holding a demonstration of their own across the road to oppose the strike.

Frances, from Bitterne, said: "I cracked when I realised it was an all out strike.

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"It's a moral issue. It's immoral to do this. They say they've had to search their consciences - well they've not searched them hard enough."

Cheryl has been demonstrating at most recent doctors' strikes. She said it was "morally reprehensible" to withdraw emergency care and said doctors should embrace a seven-day NHS.

Medical students Ben Pyrke, Sophie Marriott and Joely Leeder say they're backing the strike to protect their future in the English NHS.

Ben, a fourth year student, said: "If this contract goes through I won't want to work in England. I'm looking at working in Wales and I think that might be an avenue for other students.

"This country is training doctors and they're not becoming doctors."

A little further down Tremona Road, campaigners from Keep The NHS Public are showing their support. Sean Cannon, of Unite the Union, Anna Ridehalgh and Cheryl Harding fear the new contract will help the Government privatise the health service.

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Anna said: "If they manage to destroy the security of the junior doctors they'll destroy everybody's security. That will make it easier for them to sell off the NHS. What they want is everyone on insecure a contract as possible. That's more attractive to people buying."

Eye doctors outside Southampton General Hospital believe if the government's plans go through there will be low job appeal. Ollie from Southampton said: "All doctors will eventually leave, there will be no appealing jobs on offer"

Jess Bennett, from Southampton, added: "There is already a problem with understaffing, and that's only going to get worse".

Security are on hand to ensure patients and people in wheelchairs can get through the crowds to access the hospital.

Some of the protesters expresses how everyone will be negatively effected.

 Nathan Brendish, doctor of general medicine said: "This is the beginning of the end. We don't want to be out here protesting. The contract is bad for the NHS, it's bad for the patients, it's almost second thought that it's bad for us".

Cheers erupted as acute medicine consultant Dr Ben Chadwick came out to show his support. He's one of the senior doctors filling in to provide emergency care.

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He said: "On the acute medicine unit we've got at least as many consultants working as we would have junior doctors normally.

"If you need to come to hospital you will get very good care and you shouldn't worry about doing it.

"The difficulty is that in order to provide that the rota has to be changed to release consultants to cover emergency. There's definitely an impact on patients and I think everybody recognises that."

Support among senior doctors for the strike is "very, very high", he added.

By 10.45am, numbers had thinned to around 100 on the picket line as some doctors made their way into the city centre for the main demonstration at Guildhall Square.

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Organisers expected for around 300 to turn up for the rally in Guildhall Square.

BMA man Sohain Rufai says doctors out in Dorset want to keep strong pickets at their hospitals until 5pm.

Most people came from Southampton but there were also a few from Portsmouth and Winchester.

Speeches from doctors and supporters tackled the new contract's impact on women, cancer research and more.

There was much excited chatter about the arrival of Prof Colin Pritchard, a psychology expert and "big player" in health policy.

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Prof Pritchard cited new research for the Royal Society of Medicine which shows the UK has the second best record for death reductions out of 27 neighbours, including Germany, France and the US.

He said: "How does that happen? Because of the dedication and the morale of our frontline NHS staff.

"Anybody who damages and dents the morale and commitment to our wonderful NHS is not only - I use the word treasonable - but is incompetent and foolish."

Radiologist Mo Ismail spoke about the impact the contract will have on safety, job security and care standards.

Around 20 people raise their hands when he asked who is considering leaving England as a result of the proposed changes.

BMA organiser and junior doctor Anastasia Theodosiou said: "The strength of support we had today was really heartening.

"We're still committed to our patients, no matter how much it feels like it's falling on deaf ears.

"We know patients support us, the majority of junior and senior doctors support us, the Royal College supports us and now cross-party MPs also support us. With all that support we can't turn our backs on patient safety."