STRIKING junior doctors and their supporters manned a picket line outside Airedale Hospital.
The demonstration began at 8am today and involved a group of about 25 people with placards outside the main entrance on Skipton Road.
The latest 24-hour walkout took place after doctors participated in an earlier strike on January 12. The industrial action is due to an increasingly acrimonious dispute between junior doctors and the Government over pay and conditions.
Formal talks to try to resolve the dispute broke down in January, with one of the key sticking points being payments for working on Saturdays.
The Government has argued that change is needed to ensure a genuinely 24/7 NHS.
But the junior doctors picketing in bitterly cold conditions outside Airedale argued that the Government's stance had given them no other option.
Megan Atkinson said: "The contract they are trying to impose on us is not fair and in the long-term it will put patients in danger."
Nicola Holmes, a first year doctor also taking part in the strike, said: "A 'Seven-day-a-week NHS' is a good headline-grabber for the Government but it isn't possible to further burden what is already an overstretched service.
"We are doing 24/7 emergency work already. Our patients support us 100 per cent."
Respiratory registrar Chris Marshall said: "It's simple maths. How can the Government say we need to work more weekends but won't be working more hours? As it is we are working at full capacity now."
First year GP trainee Robert Holt said: "We don't feel there are sufficient assurances in the contract to prevent unsafe levels of working hours for doctors.
"We were close to reaching a compromise with the Government at one point, but we do not agree with Saturday being classed as a normal working day."
The doctors were backed by members of the Skipton and Keighley branches of the campaign group 38 Degrees, who turned out to reinforce the picket line.
Caroline Whitaker, of the Keighley branch, said: "The Government is trying to get more hours out of the doctors for less money. Junior doctors already work weekends."
Stacey Hunter, director of operations at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust said: "Patient safety is our priority and we've worked with our staff, including consultants, nurses, other health professionals and union representatives, to ensure high quality and safe care and welfare are maintained.
“There has been a need to re-arrange some of our planned activities such as outpatient appointments and non-emergency operations. We have contingency plans in place to ensure that any urgent and emergency care can continue."
A spokesman for the hospital added: "We have cancelled two operations as a result of the industrial action by junior doctors.
"We have also cancelled 26 outpatient clinic appointments which should have taken place. Any urgent or fast track patients with appointments have been seen.
"Around 85 per cent of our junior doctors took part in the strike."