Patients are being told to expect disruption as doctors start their five-day strike in England, with NHS bosses saying they are struggling to keep as many services going as they have done in recent walkouts.
With a wave of flu placing pressure on hospitals, NHS England said non-urgent services would be affected by the strike, which began at 07:00 Wednesday.
The doctors' union wants a long-term plan to increase the pay of resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, plus a guarantee of new training places for qualified doctors.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the strike had been timed to inflict most damage on the NHS and put patients at risk.
But the British Medical Association (BMA) said it would work with NHS bosses to ensure safety.
