GREAT Western Hospital is gearing up for the mass-walk out of more than 100 of its junior medics tomorrow, as the first strike action in 35 years takes place.

From 8am tomorrow (JAN 12), doctors will put down their instruments and walk out of the hospital in protest at the proposed pay cuts by the Department of Health.

Town residents have been warned to expect delays and not to seek medical attention unless it is an emergency.

Great Western Hospital currently employs 256 junior doctors, with 139 current members of the British Medical Association.

A group of more than 40 junior doctors will form a picket line outside the hospital on Tuesday before bringing their support to the town centre in a Meet The Doctors session, giving the public the chance to understand junior medics concerns.

Following the break-down in communications between the government and the British Medical Association, junior doctors will participate in the first of three planned strikes next week.

A 24-hour walk-out tomorrow will be followed by a 48-hour strike on 26 January, and a third day in February.

The news comes little over a month since planned industrial action was cancelled following the BMA’s decision to re-enter negotiations with the government.

Great Western Hospital will see an acute loss of its workforce with scheduled procedures such as hip replacements, knee operations and routine clinics set to encounter interruption and delays.

Oonagh Fitzgerald, HR director, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said plans were in place to keep disruption to patient services to a minimum:

"While this is a national dispute with the government, some of our junior doctors will be taking part and we are planning our services accordingly,” she said.

"Plans are in place to ensure patient safety is maintained at all times and disruption is kept to a minimum.

"On Tuesday we will be offering the same services that we would on a Bank Holiday, which means some routine operations have had to be postponed. This is so that we can prioritise patients needing emergency care and other patients needing urgent care, such as cancer patients.

"Patients booked to attend hospital on Tuesday, January 12, will have been contacted directly if their appointment is affected.

"Unless contacted, patients should attend hospital as planned. Patients needing emergency treatment and women in labour should attend as normal."

The junior doctors' protest began when the Department of Health announced a contract which could cut junior doctors pay by 40 percent and make them work much longer hours. Extra evening and Saturday pay will be lost as a result.

The contract, which will come into force next summer will see junior doctors normal working week changed to include Saturday and stretch until 10pm every weeknight except Saturday and Sunday.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the Department of Health remain in talks with the BMA:

"Our absolute priority is patient safety and making sure that the NHS delivers high-quality care seven days a week — and we know that's what doctors want too, so it is extremely disappointing that the BMA have chosen to take industrial action which helps no-one.

"We had made good progress in talks, resolving 15 of the 16 issues put forward by the union — everything apart from weekend pay. We have now asked ACAS to reconvene talks in the hope the BMA will return to sensible negotiations.”