JUNIOR doctors said they were fighting for fairness and patient safety as they took to picket lines for a fourth time over new contract disputes.

Until 8am tomorrow morning, doctors will provide emergency care only during their second 48-hour strike starting yesterday.

At Colchester General Hospital, where a group of 15 formed a picket line, 35 inpatient and operations, 44 day case operations, and 51 outpatient clinics were postponed.

The government announced earlier this year it would impose the new junior doctor contract, despite opposition from the British Medical Association (BMA).

The new contract includes Saturday being treated as a normal working day before 5pm and pay increases being linked to progression through set training stages rather than the length of time in role.

Both The BMA and NHS staff campaign group Just Health plan to legally challenge the imposition.

Meanwhile, health ministers have offered junior doctors a basic pay rise of 13.5 per cent and a three-year pay protection for existing doctors.

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Rebecca Warrington, 25, has been a doctor at Colchester General Hospital since last August and regularly does up to four hours overtime each shift.

She is frightened of the potential risks to patient safety and has admitted to making mistakes when tired.

She said: “Under the current contract, hospitals are monitored and get fined if they don’t have enough doctors on, whereas if these safeguards are taken away, when already they’re not perfect, we’ll find ourselves in a position where we’re doing far more overtime and we’re defenceless.

“I’ve made mistakes before when I’ve been tired and prescribed dangerous drugs in the wrong measure.

"Fortunately they’ve been flagged, up beforehand but it’s frightening.

“What the government wants to happen is unsafe and unfair, and we know nurses are going to be targeted next.

“This is a fight for fairness in our contract but also patient safety.”

Batsi Katsande, deputy chief operating officer at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, said all the patients affected had been contacted and offered alternative dates.

He said: “These patients are either waiting for an outpatient appointment or a routine operation or procedure.

“The safety of our patients is our top priority and postponing a limited amount of activity frees up senior doctors to do the work usually carried out by the juniors.”

A spokesman said the latest industrial action has had no impact on a number of services at the hospital including A&E, radiotherapy, renal dialysis, chemotherapy, critical care and maternity services.

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