Sir Stephen noted that the walkouts are 'frustrating for everybody', especially patients 'who are seeing their appointments disrupted and rescheduled'. It's quite simply the first time we have seen this sort of joint industrial action where consultants and junior doctors are walking out on the same day.

He added: 'Consultants and junior doctors walking out together is the awful scenario health leaders have long feared, and now face a tough few days in their efforts to maintain patient safety, ahead of a longer, more difficult clear-up of the fallout. To make sure it is Kiwi kid approved, we had our Junior Toy Analyst Jaxon and his family put the game to the test and the reviews are in! When he’s not inside playing with LEGO or building forts with the kids next door, he’s outside on his bike or practising his forward flips on the trampoline.Health leaders warned patients to expect five 'Christmas Days' in the next three weeks, meaning most non-emergency care has been cancelled. We suspect that, despite our members preparing thoroughly in advance, we may see more than 100,000 operations and appointments cancelled this time around, taking the total to well over a million. GP services and pharmacies are expected to operate normally during the strikes, though some junior doctors work at GP surgeries, so some practices may be affected from Wednesday. If you have a child aged 8 – 15 who would like to be one of our resident toy, book and movie reviewers, fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch next time we need a kid reviewer.

My father who is in desperate need of an op which has been cancelled twice now was due to have his this Thursday.We expect that demand will be very close to normal, so there will be fragility in those emergency services, which is why we're asking once again for the public to use services wisely. Junior doctors are joining forces with consultants in the first of a series of co-ordinated walkouts designed to 'maximise disruption'. NHS junior doctors and consultants have been accused of 'going against the ethics of medicine' after taking to picket lines today to stage the most disruptive strike in NHS history, with more than 100,000 cancellations expected. She suffers from 'debilitating' tummy pain that she fears may be a problem with her ovaries and that delays could after her fertility.