The DHBs say they're coping well during the resident doctors' strike.

Junior doctors began a five-day strike this morning as the long-running standoff with their employer continues. 

3,000 doctors have walked off the job in what is the biggest step in their ongoing strike action. 

National DHB contingency planner Anne Aitchison told Mike Yardley patients have inevitably been inconvenienced, bit they've tried to keep those cases to a minimum.

"There have been surgeries that have been delayed, but the surgery that has been delayed has been assessed by teams within each DHB in terms of what can be delayed and what needs to continue."

She says that a lot of work has been done today to discharge patients safely home after weekend admission. 

Aitchison says that there have been no major incidents as a result of the latest strike, but she has no figures yet as to how many surgeries have been affected. 

"The surgical numbers really won't be known until after the strike is over." 

If people do need medical care, Aitchison urges them to still come to hospital as emergency departments have been appropriately rostered.