Doctors strike on for tomorrow as talks fail

A nationwide strike by 2500 junior doctors which will affect more than 13,000 patients will go ahead tomorrow after talks broke up tonight without agreement.

Resident Doctors Association spokeswoman Deborah Powell said the strike set for five days would go ahead at 7am tomorrow as both parties were unable to reach agreement.

District Health Boards and union officials had spent much of today locked in last ditch talks in a bid to avert the strike.

Dr Powell said further talks would be conducted tomorrow but the strike would proceed as scheduled.

"We have not reached settlement and pending further talks, the strike is going ahead.

"The problems are still between us and we'll talk further tomorrow," she said.

The junior doctors say they are taking action over the long hours they have to work.

Those on both sides of the dispute have been under pressure from both politicians and senior clinicians to seal a deal to prevent the enormous upheaval which will result from the strike.