Junior doctor strike live: NHS bosses tell Jeremy Hunt to unilaterally impose contract

Follow updates on the junior doctors' strike live throughout the day

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt (Getty Images)

Junior doctors have walked out on strike for 24 hours as of 8am on Wednesday. Here are the latest updates:

• Nobody mentioned the junior doctors’ strike at PMQs
• NHS bosses say Hunt should just impose contract
• 90% of junior doctors would quit if new contract was imposed
• 2,800 operations cancelled due to strike action
• How much is Jeremy Hunt to blame for the strike?
• Public overwhelmingly blame Jeremy Hunt for this

The public overwhelmingly blame the Government for the junior doctors' strike, a new poll shows. The Ipsos MORI survey shows 64 per cent blame the Government for the strike while just 13 say it is junior doctors' fault.

The findings come as medics walk out for 24 hours over a new contract that would redefine weekend and evening working to not count as anti-social hours.

The same poll hows public support for the doctors’ strike still very high, with just 36 per cent opposed to the strike and 66 per cent supportive.

The is a slight negative shift from the previous poll conducted before the last stoppage.

The Government announced yesterday that nearly 3,000 operations have been cancelled as a result of the junior doctor strike.

Another unweighted online poll on a medics-only social network found that 90 per cent of doctors would resign over the new proposed contract.

The Independent reported on Tuesday that Health Secretary personally vetoed a deal that could have averted the stoppage.

The compromise, apparently backed by the BMA, Department of Health, and NHS employers, was blocked by Jeremy Hunt, however.

Sources close to the BMA said last-minute negotiations had reached an impasse despite last-minute talks on Tuesday.