Junior doctors' strike: People offer pizza to picketing doctors in show of support

'A supporter donated pizzas for the picket line - NHS values in action'

Pizza is donated to doctors at a picket line outside Airedale Hospital, Yorkshire (Lauren Robson )

As thousands of junior doctors walked out to join picket lines across the county on Tuesday morning, some were offered respite from the January cold with pizza and hot drinks.

Pictures shared on social media show pizza, drinks and cakes being donated by members of the public to doctors taking part in a 24-hour strike over a new contract and weekend pay.

At Airedale Hospital in Steeton, West Yorkshire supporters donated stacks of Domino's pizzas to the picket line.

Supporter donates pizza to striking doctors at Airedale Hospital, Yorkshire Lauren Robson (Lauren Robson)

Lauren Robson, a junior doctor and Yorkshire British Medical Association representative, tweeted photos of a man carrying pizza outside the hospital with the caption: “Widespread support for the junior doctors”.

Another Twitter user, Ella, said: “A supporter donated pizzas for the picket line at Airedale Hospital today and HR sent hot drinks - NHS values in action.”

Lucy Myint, a junior doctor in Nottingham, said over Twitter: “Thank you gorgeous public for sending pizza and supporting.”

The call for hot snacks was even taken up by North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union who said on Tuesday they had “just dropped pizza off” at a picket line in York.

A reddit feed has also been created encouraging people to give food to the doctors while they strike. It urged people to repeat the gesture when doctors are due to strike again on 26 January.

The thread, titled "Pizza for doctors", said: “Does anyone else want to show their support for Doctors by ordering them pizza while they are on strike?

“Just dropped off some margaritas for the doctors of Airedale hospital, Yorkshire as they were finishing the morning picket.”

A picture, taken by Uwa Ima-Edomwonyi who is training to become a GP, shows a bottle of Moet mixed in with the offerings in a jibe at a Sun article, which claimed some junior doctors - dubbed "Moet medics" enjoy “champagne-swilling lavish lifestyles”.

Keep Our NHS Public, a campaign calling for a publicly funded NHS, joined calls to support the doctors: “Stop by and hug a picket line doc today. Buy them a coffee! They haven’t struck since 1970 -and it's cold out there!”

The 24-hour strike action started at 8am on Tuesday, with pickets held at over 100 hospitals throughout England – the most significant strike by medical staff in 40 years.