THE first of two eight-hour walkouts of junior doctors has started at hospitals across the country.

At 8am today, junior doctors started industrial action at Fairfield Hospital in Bury and other health facilities in England over the controversial proposal by the Department for Health to bring in a new seven-day working contract.

The strike will end at 5pm today, before resuming again at 8am tomorrow and ending at 5pm.

The key difference between this strike and previous industrial action is that junior doctors are withdrawing emergency cover.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt challenged unions to call off the strike and resume talks, but the unions responded by saying they would only do so if he withdrew the imposition of the new contract.

Hospitals have postponed elective operations and routine appointments until after the strike and have reassured patients that those inconvenienced will not have to go to the back of the queue.

A spokesman for Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust, which runs Fairfield, North Manchester and Royal Oldham hospitals as well as Rochdale Infirmary, said: "Many patients due to attend a hospital appointment either for non-urgent surgery or an outpatient clinic at hospitals run by the trust are being contacted by the trust to rearrange their appointment ahead of the strike by junior doctors.

"This next national strike by junior doctors will mean that junior doctors will not be at workto provide emergency cover on these two days of the industrial action.

"The trust is being forced to cancel appointments to ensure that adequate staffing is in place to cover urgent care services and inpatient wards.

"Highly experienced consultants, specialist and staff grade doctors, nurse specialists and allied health professionals will support urgent care services and have a greater presence on wards to cover for those junior doctors on strike.

"As with previous strikes, trust management have detailed plans in place to ensure the smooth running of services on the two strike days.

"The trust is taking steps to ensure the care provided at the trust's three A&E departments, urgent care centre, emergency surgery and maternity services will not be affected.

"A small number of outpatient clinics will also continue to be provided including fracture clinics."

"Those patients affected by the routine appointment cancellations have already been contacted directly by the Trust by telephone and by a letter to advise them not to attend during the strike.

"Any cancelled appointments will be rescheduled as soon as possible in chronological order and patients will be contacted and advised when their new appointment will take place."

Professor Matthew Makin, medical director at the trust, said: “This is an unprecedented situation for the NHS.

"Because junior doctors are not providing emergency care during these two strike days unfortunately we have had to contact patients to cancel more non-urgent surgery and outpatient appointments than we did for the last strike days.

“Where this is the case we have contacted our patients concerned directly to reschedule their appointment.

“They will not go to the back of the queue and we will ensure that they are seen as quickly as possible.

“There is no need for patients to contact the trust as we will contact you directly.

“It is important we try and minimise disruption to our patients and their families as best we can.

“The trust has robust plans to ensure that all of our hospital wards are safely staffed with medical and nursing input and essential services are maintained during the strike days."