“The key has been good contingency planning that prioritised urgent and emergency care. Because of this, the NHS has continued to provide essential services for the people who most needed help and in many cases planned operations, clinic and tests have also continued to try to minimise distress to patients. There has been some excellent collaborative working and those involved deserve our praise.

“There have of course been issues – ambulance services have been under real pressure in some places. But this is where robust contingency plans come into their own, prioritising calls. The last thing anybody wants is urgent care compromised.

“The day is not over because the strike does not end until midnight. We will need to be particularly vigilant around the evening shift changes to ensure appropriate and safe staffing levels.

“We should not lose sight of the fact that people have had their treatment delayed because of this strike. The delays will be distressing and deeply frustrating for those individuals affected.

“The NHS will work hard to reschedule those appointments as quickly as possible. But some people may find this does not happen immediately.”

Mr Royles added:

“Now the NHS needs everybody to come back to work tomorrow, ready to work as a team on behalf of patients. I fully recognise the anxieties of staff over pensions and hope constructive discussions can now resume to resolve the dispute. Let’s get everybody’s energies focused on finding a solution.”

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