The chair of the consultants committee of the British Medical Association says upcoming strikes, including new dates announced for October, can be avoided if the government stops avoiding talks. Senior doctors are walking out today, operating on a "Christmas day cover" basis meaning emergency care will still be provided, until 7am on Saturday. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn