ROUTINE operations and appointments were cancelled across south Devon on Tuesday, despite a 24-hour strike by junior doctors being called off.

The British Medical Association (BMA) agreed to suspend the walk-out after a last-minute breakthrough on Monday night in talks with the government and conciliation service Acas.

But it was too late to rebook operations and appointments.

Two more strikes planned for later in December have also been suspended.

A spokesman for Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘The trust put in place robust contingency plans to ensure we were fully prepared for the junior doctor planned industrial action to minimise the disruption to our services and inconvenience to patients.

‘We had already cancelled and rebooked routine and non-urgent operations and clinics for the first planned date, December 1. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to patients.’

More than 4,000 patients across England were affected on Tuesday.

The government and junior doctors will now spend the next few weeks going through the detail of the agreement.

A joint statement, sent out by Acas, stated it is only a temporary move and the BMA has until January 13 to start industrial action, if the next round of talks does not reach a permanent deal.

The row between junior doctors and the government is over a new contract. Ministers have offered doctors an 11 per cent pay rise, but this has been offset by other changes, including unsociable hours payments.

The government has said the new contracts are needed to create more seven-day services in the NHS, but the BMA has warned it could lead to doctors being overworked because safeguards to keep a lid on excessive hours will be weakened.

Protests have been held across the country and 98 per cent of BMA members who took part in the recent ballot backed strike action.