JUNIOR doctors across the area described the first all-out strike in the history of the NHS as "a sad day for medicine".

Medics from Barrow's Furness General Hospital forged a picket line outside the Dalton Lane site today in protest at Jeremy Hunt's plans to impose a new contract upon them from August.

They were taking part in an historic, all-out strike which has seen thousands of junior doctors across the country take part in a full withdrawal of labour, including accident and emergency, maternity and intensive care departments for the first time since the NHS was created in 1948. 

Dr Gurse Singh, a junior doctor who works on rotation at FGH, said the 30 junior doctors taking part in the unprecedented move had been buoyed by an "incredible" level of support from the public.

He said: "We've seen incredible support from the public as they pass by and patients who are on their way into the hospital, as well as from hospital staff including senior clinicians, nurses and administrative staff.

"It's been very reassuring.

"Ultimately though this is a sad day for medicine and one none of us wanted to see.

"We just want a safe contract for the patients we look after."

The dedicated group of junior doctors, who work below consultant level, rubbished claims union leaders within the British Medical Association are using strike action to blackmail the government over the terms of the new contract. 

Instead, they said, the 48-hour industrial action could have been scrapped nationwide if health secretary Mr Hunt had agreed to re-open talks on the controversial issue as late as Monday.

Dr Singh, 24, added: "That's the saddest thing.

"There are junior doctors sat outside Jeremy Hunt's place of work waiting to talk to him. This was entirely preventable.

"We just want negotiations to take place so that we can resolve this.

"Jeremy Hunt says he wants a seven-day NHS but that is what we provide already."

The strike is the fifth to be held since December over Department of Health plans to enforce a new contract upon junior doctors this summer.

The contract will provide an increase in the baseline salary of the training medics according to where they fit within a newly-introduced banding system.

But the BMA states changes to the number of evening and weekend hours that generate an anti-social hours payment will reduce, leaving the medics out of pocket.

Another major point of contention is the removal of financial penalties for hospital trusts that rota junior doctors for more than an average of a certain number of hours per week, leading to concern that overtired and exhausted doctors could make mistakes when caring for patients.

ACAS talks between the two sides broke down in January, sealing an increasingly bitter impasse.

Mr Hunt said this week: "It was the first page of our manifesto that we'd have a seven-day NHS. 

"I don't think any union has the right to blackmail the government, to force the government to abandon a manifesto promise that the British people have voted on."

Barrow's junior doctors left their picket line for the afternoon today  to talk directly to the town's residents about the situation - sharing their lifesaving skills by providing CPR training for anyone with moments to spare.

Their strike is set to continue across the country until Thursday at 8am.

It includes a second shift of all-out action affecting accident and emergency departments, maternity and intensive care between 8am and 5pm tomorrow (Wednesday).