Patients across Lancashire warned of 'significant disruption' as junior docs back on strike
The action runs from 7am on Saturday until midnight on Wednesday.
Junior doctors are back on strike across Lancashire and the rest of the country, as the pay row with the government continues.
They are walking out from 7am on Saturday 24 February until midnight on Wednesday 28 February.
The NHS says it's prioritising urgent and emergency care as this action is set to impact the most routine care.
New national figures show there were an average of 2,355 more patients in hospital each day last week (97,416) than the same period in 2023 (95,061).
95.3% of adult general and acute beds were occupied in the week ending 18 February, despite the NHS having over 2,500 more of these beds compared to the same week last year.
The NHS has also released new figures showing that more flu patients are in hospital every day, with NHS call handlers also dealing with an increase in calls.
It's the tenth walkout by junior doctors since March 2023 and follows the six-day strike in January, which was the longest in NHS history.
The British Medical Association is calling for pay restoration and improved conditions.
Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “I want to see doctors treating patients, not standing on picket lines. In negotiations with the BMA Junior Doctors Committee, we made it clear we were prepared to go further than the pay increase of up to 10.3% that they have already received. They refused to put our offer to their members.
“More than 1.3 million appointments and operations have already been cancelled or rescheduled since industrial action began – five days of further action will compound this.
“The NHS has robust contingency plans in place, and it is vital that people continue to come forward for treatment. But no one should underestimate the impact these strikes have on our NHS.
"So again, I urge the BMA Junior Doctors Committee to call off their strikes and show they are prepared to be reasonable, so that we can come back to the negotiating table to find a fair way forward.”