Junior doctors were today again picketing outside Croydon University Hospital today as a bitter dispute with Government over new contracts rumbled on.

The British Medical Association (BMA) announced the walkout, the third this year, last month after Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced he would impose new contract by August and claimed the union had refused “point blank to discuss reforms”.

Under the contracts junior doctors will get an increase in their basic pay, but will have to work more weekends. Guaranteed pay rises linked to time in the job will be axed and bonus pay for working unsociable hours will be curbed.

About 20 junior doctors have been picketing outside the London Road hospital since 8am this morning.

IN FEBRUARY: Jeremy Hunt accused of "bullying approach" in decision to force junior doctor contracts

Junior doctors to strike again over Jeremy Hunt's decision to force new contracts

On the picket line: Junior doctors strike over contract disputes

Chris Honstvet, a trainee anaesthetist at the hospital, said: “People are really struggling now with what to do in the future, it feels very much like this is going to drop down people’s agenda and the deadline for us to make any changes is fast approaching.

“Morale is basically rock bottom. I don’t really see how it could get lower. People are pretty distraught at what is happening to their profession and careers.

“Everyone feels very let down by a Government who seems intent on destroying the NHS.”

Alastair Brown, a trainee anaesthetist and the BMA representative at the hospital, said: “We are finding that people are very, very angry, almost to the point where people’s willingness to negotiate on this has almost gone away.

“Junior doctors are becoming so downtrodden that we are increasingly hearing more and more people speak about leaving the profession or leaving England.

“This contract is not only going to have a national affect, it will have a local impact on the people of Croydon and that is something we don’t want.”

Hannah May-Miller, a core medical trainee, said: “One of my main concerns with the contract as it stands is that there is very little clarity on how it is going to impact women, like myself, who have children, who work less than full time and who have breaks out of training.

“I feel there are lots of mother doctors who don’t know if they will be able to afford to work less than full time now.

“This will make it difficult to balance my work life and my family life and I love both of those.”

Ezra Waterman, a second-year junior doctor in general medicine, said: “I think the most wonderful thing about a seven-day NHS is the fact that we already have one, we provide treatment and management of patients throughout the week.

“It would be excellent if we could do elected procedures on weekends as well but that requires an increase in funding and an increase in staffing and that is not going to be possible.

“Everyone who works on the frontline shares the same concerns, we are people that have gone into a profession because our primary focus is the patients – we are not doing this for money.

“It is so disheartening and morale is so low, it is not what you want for a workforce.”

It is the third day of industrial action staged by junior doctors this year over new contracts, which they say are “unsafe” for staff and patients.

The BMA claims the Government has “failed to follow due process” and has launched a judicial review of the decision to impose the contract.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Further strike action is completely unnecessary and will mean tens of thousands more patients face cancelled operations – over a contract that was 90 per cent agreed with the BMA and which senior NHS leaders including Simon Stevens have endorsed as fair and safe.”

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust said it had cancelled more 80 operations planned for today and tomorrow and had postponed more than 320 outpatient appoints.

Chief executive John Goulston said: “We are again doing everything we can to maintain safe services and are bringing together our most experienced consultants, nurses and other clinical staff to continue providing care.

“We are prioritising all care which is urgent or cannot be safely delayed. Unfortunately, this means this does mean we have had to rearrange some non-urgent operations and appointments.”

GP practices will be open and working as normal.

Anyone with life-threatening or serious conditions should visit accident and emergency or call 999. Those without serious conditions should visit a GP, pharmacist or call 111.