Talks under way to resolve junior doctors' dispute

Talks are under way to try and resolve the dispute over junior doctors' pay and conditions, amid fears of a second round of industrial action.

Today is the final day of the five-day national strike by around 2000 junior doctors.

Last night, the 2400-member Resident Doctors' Association agreed to a request by District Health Boards to meet before a mediator, following the collapse of talks last Thursday.

On Friday, Resident Doctors' Association general secretary Deborah Powell had hinted further strike action might be under consideration. But last night she said the union had not served the required 14-day notice of another strike.

"There will be a negotiation [today] of some description," she said.

Boards' advocate Nigel Murray said the union needed to front up and be honest if it planned another strike, action that would disrupt treatment for thousands more patients and, if soon, would snatch from public hospitals the chance to recover.

Senior doctors are being paid $200 an hour - more than triple their average hourly rate - for working weeknights and at the weekend during the strike.

District health boards agreed to the rate with the senior doctors' union solely for this five-day strike.

Hospitals reported they were quiet over the weekend, indicating the public had heeded the call to avoid going to emergency departments where possible.

The striking doctors are set to return to work at 7am tomorrow.