BMA has announced its intention to suspend the strike previously announced for next week as talks continue

The BMA has announced its intention to suspend the strike previously announced for next week as talks continue.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "The strike that took place last week was unnecessary while talks are ongoing, so it’s extremely welcome news that the BMA has suspended next week’s action, though as it stands emergency care will still be withdrawn in February. In the end, the government and junior doctors want to do the same thing by improving patient care at weekends – and we look forward to further constructive discussions."

Last week ACAS, the conciliation service announced that all parties had agreed to recommence talks on Thursday 14 January to try and reach a negotiated settlement.