CONTINGENCY plans have been put in place at the district's hospitals to minimise disruption for patients as planned strikes by junior doctors are set to get underway.

Following a ballot of tens of thousands of doctors across the country by the British Medical Association, 98 per cent voted in favour of strikes in a row with the Government over new contracts.

Doctors are poised to take action over three days, providing emergency care only for 24 hours from 8am tomorrow, followed by full walkouts from 8am to 5pm on December 8 and 16.

A second day of talks has taken place in a bid to avoid strikes, with arbitration service Acas hosting the talks between NHS Employers, the Department of Health and the BMA.

If the strikes do go ahead there is expected to be widespread disruption to the NHS with hospitals, such as Bradford Royal Infirmary, St Luke's and Airedale General, forced to cancel outpatient clinics and non-urgent operations.

The new contract is set to be imposed from next summer on doctors working up to consultant level.

Stacey Hunter, director of operations at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We have put in place contingency plans and have been working with our staff, including consultants, nurses, other health professionals and union representatives, to ensure patient safety, care and welfare are maintained during the industrial action by junior doctors.

“While there has been a need to rearrange some of our planned activities, such as outpatient appointments and non-emergency operations, plans have been put in place to ensure any urgent and emergency care can continue.”

Anyone with outpatient appointments and non-emergency operations should have already been contacted to reschedule.

A spokesman for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Bradford Teaching Hospitals, like other acute NHS organisations, is facing industrial action on December 1.

“Arrangements have been made to ensure that patient safety and levels of care are not compromised by any industrial action, and all essential services, such as emergency and urgent surgery, will continue as normal.

“Some routine elective activity and outpatient services have been cancelled. All affected patients have been notified. If patients haven’t heard from us they should attend their appointment as normal.”

One junior doctor working in Bradford who will be taking part in the industrial action is Lauren Robson, a single parent to a five-year-old.

She said: "The results of the ballot clearly show the strength of feeling among junior doctors in England.

"The decision to vote for industrial action is not a decision that we have taken lightly as individuals or as a profession and we are deeply regretful for any inconvenience that this will cause to our patients.

"As doctors our first priority is always our patients and that's why we have tried time and time again over the past few months to ask that Jeremy Hunt drop the threat to impose this unsafe contract and return to negotiations with the BMA.

"We remain deeply concerned about the impact that this new contract will have on the NHS, including the very real risk of a return to the days when doctors were making life or death decisions after working 100 hour weeks on a regular basis.

"The public can also be reassured that emergency cover will continue to be provided by Junior Doctors on the first day of the strike and on subsequent days by our consultants, thousands of whom have voiced their own concerns about the contract with the Health Secretary.

"We are deeply regretful that things have got to this stage but we really do feel completely backed in to a corner."