WINSFORD’s MP has condemned the first all-out strike in the history of the NHS and said she is ‘deeply concerned that lives will be put at risk’.

Junior doctors walked out of routine and emergency care at 8am this morning – the first time services such as A&E, maternity and intensive care have been affected in the dispute.

Antoinette Sandbach, MP for Eddisbury, said many of her constituents are concerned that junior doctors have decided to include emergency cover in their strike action.

She said this will have ‘adverse impacts’ on hospital services in Eddisbury.

Ms Sandbach said: “I am deeply concerned that lives will be put at risk by those doctors who are striking, and I went to Leighton Hospital on Friday to discuss the implications.

“The clear conclusion that I received from that meeting is that lives will be lost.

"That is something that I cannot countenance on behalf of my constituents.”

Today’s strike action will end at 5pm, though further action is due to take place between the same hours tomorrow.

NHS bosses said ‘military level’ contingency planning had been carried out to protect urgent and emergency care.

The main issue is a dispute between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government regarding pay for working on Saturdays.

Junior doctors are deadlocked with Jeremy Hunt over his plan to impose new contracts as part of a seven-day NHS.

As well as the dispute over weekend pay, the BMA claims the new contract will compromise patient safety.

A spokesman for the BMA said: “Doctors want to do their utmost to protect patients, which is why the BMA has given trusts several weeks' notice to plan for this action.

“This guidance, which has been in place and openly available on the BMA website since the first action in January, explains that doctors have a duty of care to ensure the safety of patients, including the safe hand over of patients under their care.

"The guidance also explains that it is the responsibility of trusts to put in place robust plans to protect emergency services and minimise the impact on patients on the days of action.

"An agreed protocol is in place between the BMA and NHS England should any trust need to recall doctors during the days of action, where there has been an unpredictable major incident.”

Ms Sandbach reiterated that she is ‘committed to delivering a truly seven day-a-week NHS’.

She said: “There is clear evidence from independent medical studies that those admitted at weekends have worse outcomes than those admitted during the week.

“Given the three years of negotiations, and the fact that the only substantive issue left in dispute is the treatment of Saturday working, and the way in which these negotiations have been conducted by the BMA, the decision has been taken that it is not right to expect patients to continue to suffer worse outcomes whilst the BMA seeks to drag out the negotiations further.

“The new contract reduces the hours of junior doctors and increases their pay, by 13 per cent.”