Doctors have joined picket lines at NHS hospitals across the country today as they begin the first all-out strike in history.

The strike started at 8am today and will go on until 5pm. The same will happen tomorrow.

It is the first Accident and Emergency walkout in the NHS’s 68-year history.

A&E departments and maternity units will be staffed by senior consultants stepping in for their colleagues.

As a result of the strike latest action Dorset County Hospital has had to cancel 312 outpatient appointments over the two days and 11 operations.

The row between the Government and the junior doctors centres around the issues of pay and working conditions.

The government’s proposed changes to the junior doctors’ contacts include an increase in basic pay for junior doctors of 13.5 percent, a move away from a 'Monday to Friday culture' in the health service and a pay-cut for anti-social hours.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and the government have faced criticism since proposing the changes. But the government argue the new contracts will help improve care at the weekends.

Junior doctors say they were not consulted on the planned changes and are concerned that the changes could lead to the privatisation of the NHS and harm patient safety.

Polls suggest that the majority of the public support the doctors.

The government announced contracts would be enforced unilaterally this August after negotiations since 2012 failed to be resolved.

There are currently 55,000 junior doctors who make up a third of the medical workforce in England.

One of the main stumbling blocks to junior doctors’ contracts are the changes to anti-social hours pay, which effectively could mean a pay-cut for some people who work a high rate of unsociable hours, for example, evenings and a Saturday.

But figures show this is less than one percent of the workforce, who work a lot of extra hours and qualify for 'premium payments'.

Current junior doctor wages start at £22,636 on graduation, and reach in excess of £70,000, dependent on experience and specialities.

However, junior doctors say the strike is not about money, despite public perception on doctors wages.

They argue the changes will lead to doctors stretching their services too thinly, ultimately compromising patient safety as they try to support a seven day NHS.

The government's championing for a seven day NHS comes after report figures suggested patient deaths were 'significantly higher' if you were admitted on a weekend, providing a 'weekend effect' for mortality rates.

Both junior doctors believe the changes could cost more than a loss in wages for a few, and could be signalling a step towards privatising the NHS.

At a glance: What exactly are the government proposing?

  • Basic pay will increase by an average of 13.5 percent
  • Junior doctors starting salary will rise from £22,636 to £27,000
  • But the increase in basic pay is not an overall increase, as it will offset the loss to earnings for scrapping unsocial hours pay
  • The proposed changes are to England only. Scotland and Wales have already voted not to impose changes to contracts, but the government argued they do not face the same level of pressure for costs of a seven day NHS
  • There will not be an increase in the amount of hours junior doctors are expected to work
  • The change is to increasing the basic paid standard hours from 60 to 90 hours, lowering the hours junior doctors receive a premium pay
  • Every hospital to have a safety guardian to monitor safe working
  • Fines will be sanctioned against hospitals who overwork junior doctors
  • BMA fears quality junior doctors will "speak with their feet" and be forced to move abroad for a better deal