Frustrated junior doctors at Croydon University Hospital today walked off the job after contract negotiations failed.

January 13: In pictures: Junior doctors across south west London and north Surrey join in nationwide strike 

January 19: Junior doctor strike called off but "concrete progress" still needed

February 1: Junior doctors' strike back on as union fails to reach agreement with government

This week: Croydon Health Services NHS Trust postpones hundreds of operations ahead of junior doctors strike

The British Medical Association (BMA) announced the strike earlier this month after talks between Government officials and negotiators representing the doctors failed to reach an agreement over safeguarding.

About 40 junior doctors have been picketing outside the London Road hospital since 8am this morning.

Chris Honstvet, a trainee anaesthetist at Croydon University Hospital, said: “It is really good to be out here and explaining to people why this isn’t a good contract for them. It is going to spread staff far too thinly and at the same time it is not respecting highly educated people who sacrifice so much to do this job.

“Every month I work a weekend, I work long days and nights and work over my hours and I just feel completely disrespected by this Government.

“From the age of 16 I have worked incredibly hard to get where I am today and to have my vocation called into question by the minister for health is disgusting.

“Over the past few weeks everything that has come out of the Department of Health is just a lie, they are trying to blame the BMA and it is just not true – we have read the contract proposals, we know it is not going to be fair and we know it is not going to be safe.

“Everyone is feeling really down about this, morale is really low.

He added: “We all want to offer an amazing seven-day, 24 hour health care service but my concern about this contract is it spreads junior doctors far too thinly, if you start putting them on more at weekend and taking them off during the week you are going to compromise care during the week.

“The simple solution is to employ more staff and invest more in the NHS.”

Under the proposed contracts junior doctors in England will get an increase in their basic pay, but will have to work more weekends while guaranteed pay rises linked to time in the job will be axed and bonus pay for working unsociable hours will be curbed.

A Department of Health spokesman said: “This strike is completely unnecessary. It is very disappointing that tens of thousands of patients and NHS staff have been inconvenienced by the BMA.

“We have now agreed the vast majority of the contract detail with the BMA but it’s a great shame they have broken the agreement we made at ACAS to discuss the outstanding issue of Saturday working and pay for unsocial hours.”

Earlier this week health services in Croydon postponed 247 appointments to prepare for the strike.

Alison Smith, deputy chief operating officer at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, said: “We are closely monitoring that we have enough staff on the ground to care for our patients.

“It is a difficult decision to cancel appointments and operations, but we have done so to bring our consultants and nurses together in the right the places so that we can continue to deliver safe care.

“Our teams are working flat-out to re-book appointments and procedures to get all of patients affected back in by March without impacting on our waiting lists for other patients.”

Carl Sedge, emergency department matron at Croydon University Hospital, said: “We’re busy, but coping.  Normally we see more than 350 people a day in the emergency department (ED) and urgent care services.

“Whilst many are striking, our emergency care junior doctors are in the ED giving their all. 

“Our focus, like every day, is caring for every patient who arrives at our door – but today more than ever, we are working to make sure everything is in place once patients leave our ED ready for admission into one of our hospital wards.”

Today is the second day of industrial action for junior doctors who walked out on January 12.

A planned strike on January 26 was called off when the BMA entered last-minute discussions with the Government.

Emergency care will be provided but junior doctors will be on the picket line until 8am tomorrow morning.

GP practices will be open and working as normal.

Anyone with life-threatening or serious conditions should visit accident and emergency or call 999. Those without serious conditions should visit a GP, pharmacist or call 111.