Health Secretary Wes Streeting says the NHS is facing a challenging few days during the doctor strike as it strives to keep as many services as possible running.
Speaking after the five-day walkout by resident doctors began on Friday, he said it was not possible to eliminate disruption, but it was being kept to a minimum.
It came as the British Medical Association agreed a doctor could come off the picket line over the weekend to work at Nottingham City Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit.
In previous strikes, the focus has been on staffing emergency care but this time the NHS wants to keep non-urgent services running, sparking a BMA warning this risks stretching staff too thinly.
Senior doctors are covering for resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, who are striking for the 12th time over pay
