The first all-out doctors' strike in the NHS's history has begun in England.
Thousands of junior doctors walked out of both routine and emergency care at 08:00 BST in protest at the imposition of a new contract from the summer.
It is the first time services such as A&E, maternity and intensive care have been hit in the long-running dispute.
NHS bosses believe plans are in place to ensure safety, but say the situation will be monitored closely during the stoppage which ends at 17:00 BST.
Further all-out strike action is due to take place on Wednesday, between the same hours.
Hospitals can request that junior doctors return to work if needed, but as yet no NHS trust has raised the alarm.

NHS England said "military level" contingency planning had been carried out to protect urgent and emergency care.
Steps taken include:
*The postponement of nearly 13,000 routine operations and more than 100,000 appointments to free up staff
*The cancellation of holidays and study leave
*Redeployment of consultants, middle-grade doctors and nurses into emergency care
*More GP appointments being kept free for last-minute requests
*An increase in 111 staff rostered on to allow the phone service to handle more calls

Patients are being urged to think carefully about how they use the NHS during the strike - a website has been set up giving patients details about what services are available where they live.
NHS England's Anne Rainsberry said: "Clearly industrial action of this type can put significant pressure on the NHS. We have been working with all hospitals to make sure they have plans in place to provide urgent and emergency care."
She said those plans were "robust" and hospitals were "confident" they could cope, but the situation would be kept under review.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36134103

The important thing to note is that adequate steps were taken because the well-being of patients is vital.

In my country, doctors will discharge all their patients, even the critically ill. Johesu will lock up the entire hospital. The more deaths recorded, the more effective they consider the strike.

The inferiority complex will not allow all the Nigerian doctor bashers to comment on this. The few that come might want to give ''valid reasons'' while this strike was essential, or that it was properly conducted.
smh

Juxtified:
The inferiority complex will not allow all the Nigerian doctor bashers to comment on this. The few that come might want to give ''valid reasons'' while this strike was essential, or that it was properly conducted.
smh

This kind of thing can never happen in the US. This is what happens you have govt run healthcare. One of the reasons Donald Trump won handily in this last elections was because he promised to repeal Obamacare. A lot of Americans don't like govt interfering with their healthcare and that's why Obamacare has been very controversial.

Enoquin:
The first all-out doctors' strike in the NHS's history has begun in England.
Thousands of junior doctors walked out of both routine and emergency care at 08:00 BST in protest at the imposition of a new contract from the summer.
It is the first time services such as A&E, maternity and intensive care have been hit in the long-running dispute.
NHS bosses believe plans are in place to ensure safety, but say the situation will be monitored closely during the stoppage which ends at 17:00 BST.
Further all-out strike action is due to take place on Wednesday, between the same hours.
Hospitals can request that junior doctors return to work if needed, but as yet no NHS trust has raised the alarm.

NHS England said "military level" contingency planning had been carried out to protect urgent and emergency care.
Steps taken include:
*The postponement of nearly 13,000 routine operations and more than 100,000 appointments to free up staff
*The cancellation of holidays and study leave
*Redeployment of consultants, middle-grade doctors and nurses into emergency care
*More GP appointments being kept free for last-minute requests
*An increase in 111 staff rostered on to allow the phone service to handle more calls

Patients are being urged to think carefully about how they use the NHS during the strike - a website has been set up giving patients details about what services are available where they live.
NHS England's Anne Rainsberry said: "Clearly industrial action of this type can put significant pressure on the NHS. We have been working with all hospitals to make sure they have plans in place to provide urgent and emergency care."
She said those plans were "robust" and hospitals were "confident" they could cope, but the situation would be kept under review.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36134103

This is one of the dangers of having a govt healthcare system like they do in England with the NHS.

davidif:


This is one of the dangers of having a govt healthcare system like they do in England with the NHS.

I always wonder why they don't ban or limit right to protest like that. You don't see millitary soldiers act in this manner. If your outside of free market control and forced upon us you don't need absolute right to protest like other people.