JUNIOR doctors have been hitting the picket lines in protest at government plans to change their pay and conditions.
Medics began a 24-hour strike at 8am on January 12 to send a message to ministers that their plans are the wrong treatment for the NHS.
Protestors were on duty at Russells Hall hospital with placards urging motorists to show their support by sounding their horns as they drove past.
The dispute revolves around plans to increase doctors’ basic pay but cut extra pay for working unsociable hours and talks have stalled, which has prompted the strike action.
Speaking on the picket line, junior doctor Catherine McGrath said: “We are striking over the future of the NHS, we are so grateful to the public for their support all morning.
“We are willing to sit down and speak with anybody but we have to have an open mind about the future of the NHS.”
NHS England estimates nearly 4,000 operations and procedures out of 31,000 will be cancelled nationally because of the strike.
Paul Bytheway, chief operating officer for the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, said the trust is “working to minimise the impact on patients where possible”.
Mr Bytheway said: “Our priority will be to ensure that safe emergency, urgent and inpatient services are maintained."
The Trust says emergency, urgent and inpatient care is working as normal and all main theatre lists planned for today are being completed as usual.
As a result of the industrial action, however, hospital bosses have had to reschedule 376 outpatient appointments and 49 day case procedures.
Paula Clark, Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust chief executive, said: "We began working on robust contingency plans as soon as we were informed by the BMA about their planned action last week.
"All available consultants are working in the hospital, two-hourly meetings reviewing the situation are being held throughout the day and into the evening and some routine appointments and procedures have been rearranged to allow staff to focus on delivering inpatient, emergency and urgent care."
This strike action will be followed by one further 24-hour strike on Tuesday January 26 and a nine-hour walk out on Wednesday February 10.
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