YORK Hospital bosses have publicly thanked consultants, senior specialists and other medical staff who have ‘stepped up’ to fill the breach while junior doctors have been on strike this week.

With junior doctors making up 49 per cent of the medical workforce at York and Scarborough hospitals, managers admit this week’s strike was always going to have a ‘significant impact’.

The hospital says ‘a number’ of operations and appointments have had to be postponed. These will be re-arranged ‘as a priority’, it says.

“We appreciate this situation is frustrating for patients affected and apologise for any inconvenience caused,” a hospital spokesperson said.

But she added that, unless they were specifically told otherwise, anyone with an appointment should attend as planned.

While there have been patients who have seen their operations postponed, the hospital stresses it had plans in place ahead of the strike to ensure it could ‘continue to deliver safe care’ for patients.

“Our staff and union representatives have worked together to put in place extensive procedures and processes which focus on maintaining essential services,” the spokesperson said.

The four day strike is due to end tomorrow morning, with junior doctors expected to start returning to work from 7am, depending on when their shifts begin.

Cardiology registrar Dr Hester Baverstock, who has been a regular on the picket line at York Hospital this week, said she and her striking colleagues had had ‘amazing’ support from members of the public.

READ MORE: York divided over junior doctors' strike

Senior hospital staff and managers as well as other hospital workers had also shown their support, she said.

“Dr Karen Stine (the hospital’s medical director) and Polly McMeekin (the hospital’s director of workforce) have visited the picket line on a daily basis and have shown their full support of junior doctors," Dr Baverstock said.

“Many consultants have also been visiting us on the picket line, as well as health care assistants, nursing staff, paramedics, all coming to give us support.”

Many consultants had been having to put much of their admin work on hold so that they could spend more time on front line health care during the week, Dr Baverstock told The Press.

But she said senior medics not on strike had told her that things had been running smoothly.

A crash team had been on hand in the hospital for serious heart attack/ stroke cases 24/7, as usual, Dr Baverstock said.

If there were to be a ‘major incident’ – such as a terror attack or an accident involving multiple serious casualties - then there were arrangements in place so the British Medical Association (BMA) could authorise doctors to leave the picket line to help out, she said.

Fortunately, so far, that has not been necessary in York.

“But patient safety has been entirely maintained,” Dr Baverstock said.

Dr Baverstock stressed she and her colleagues were striking not just for a pay rise which would see salaries restored to 2008 levels, but for something much bigger.

“It’s the future of England’s NHS that we’re fighting to protect,” she said.

With the strike due to end tomorrow, she said she hoped Health Secretary Steve Barclay would now get around the negotiating table.

But Home Office Minister Chris Philp has said junior doctors must suspend all strikes for the Government to consider entering talks facilitated by conciliation service Acas.