JUNIOR doctors are on the picket line at Salisbury District Hospital this morning as part of the first all-out strike in NHS history.

The NHS is working hard to ensure that as few patients as possible are affected by the industrial action, which continues tomorrow, but some services will need to change and some are likely to be busier than usual.

Junior doctors will be striking from 8am to 5pm each day, including withdrawal of maternity and A&E cover.

Essential care will be provided by senior staff.

In a ballot of junior doctors, 98 per cent of those who voted supported taking industrial action, including a full withdrawal of labour.

The dispute is about working hours and pay, but a key sticking point is about payments for working on Saturdays.

Talks between the government and British Medical Association (BMA) broke down in January, prompting the government to announce in February that it would be imposing its contract in the summer.

Ruth Hillier, a Junior doctor at SDH, said: "This contract endangers lives by pushing doctors to their limits.

"Savings cannot be made by stretching a doctor’s routine work from a busy five day service with full emergency weekend cover, to a broken, dangerous seven day service, which our government cannot afford."

A spokesman for Salisbury District Hospital said: “Like other NHS hospitals we are prepared for events that can cause disruption to services. We therefore have contingency plans to cover industrial action and our highest priority is to provide a safe service to our patients.”

The NHS released information reminding people to only visit A&E departments for serious and life-threatening conditions, and that the 111 number should be used for less urgent conditions or if no GP appointment is available.