HUNDREDS of appointments and operations were cancelled on Tuesday as junior doctors across the North-East and North Yorkshire took industrial action over proposed new contracts.

Large numbers of doctors and their supporters manned picket lines outside the region's hospitals during the nine-hour strike - which will be repeated on Wednesday - but NHS chiefs said remaining staff had coped well in the circumstances.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough and the Friarage in Northallerton, said contingency plans had been a success.

The trust was forced to cancel 18 operations and 257 outpatient appointments as a result of the industrial action, with a further 12 operations and 288 outpatient appointments cancelled because of Wednesday's strike, which will also run from 8am to 5pm.

Richard Wight, medical director, said: “A wide variety of staff have contributed to ensure care remains safe.

“For emergency care, it has very much been business as usual. We expect to be able to offer a similar high quality of service on the second day of action on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, we have needed to displace some planned operations and outpatient appointments to achieve this and have already contacted these patients. We apologise to those members of the public who have been inconvenienced.”

The trust said patients who had appointments or surgery scheduled for Wednesday should turn up as arranged unless they have heard otherwise

Over the two days, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, which runs several hospitals including Darlington Memorial and University Hospital of North Durham, said it had been forced to rearrange 101 new and 410 review outpatient appointments, as well as 34 day case procedures.

However, the trust said its preparations had coped well.

A spokesman said: "We are very grateful to the public for using our services appropriately, particularly our A&E departments, and we would ask them to continue supporting us in the same way tomorrow.

"We are grateful too for the commitment shown by colleagues, in particular, senior medical staff, who have supported the continued safe delivery of care to our patients.

“We extend our apologies to those people who have had clinic appointments and procedures rearranged. We appreciate the inconvenience and distress this can cause.”

The University of North Tees Hospital, in Stockton, said 502 outpatient appointments and 39 surgical procedures were cancelled because of the strike.

A spokesman said during the day: “Contingency plans are in place to ensure we are safely providing the right level of care to our patients.”

More than 30 junior doctors and supporters gathered outside the hospital.

A spokeswoman for the strikers said: “We are a united front and despite what people tell you, the support from the public is as strong as ever.

"People have been pipping their horn in support while others have been bringing hot drinks and food.

“We know that there is enough staff in the hospital to ensure patients are safe and we have had consultants come out to speak to us and give us their support. We are all here as one voice and we are all asking for a little respect.”