The  focus is on keeping the country's hospitals safe today - while five thousand senior doctors strike for better working conditions

This follows eight months of failed negotiations with Health New Zealand.

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says its' not going to fill workforce gaps without major improvements to pay and conditions.

Health NZ Chief Clinical Officer, Doctor Richard Sullivan, says other hospital staff are coping well today.

He says they're working closely with the union to make sure care is safe.