Almost half of junior doctors went to work as normal during Tuesday’s 24-hour strike, despite their union urging them to join the walkout, NHS bosses have said.

Of the 26,000 junior doctors who were due to work during the 24-hour stoppage which began on Tuesday at 8am, 47.4% did work, according to NHS England figures.

But the British Medical Association, the doctors’ union, said that the figure was in line with what was expected because it includes those who work in emergency services, such as A&E and intensive care, who were never supposed to take part in the first withdrawal of labour since 1975.

 

Emergency care includes other services where patients’ lives could be at risk, such as emergency surgery and maternity services.

A spokeswomen for the BMA said: “These figures refer to those junior doctors who were, as agreed, covering emergency care on Tuesday. Thousands of junior doctors showed their support at more than 150 picket lines across England, demonstrating the strength of feeling amongst the profession.

“The simple fact is that the government cannot ignore the thousands who have made it quite clear what they think of their plans.”

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The Guardian