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Doctors strike ‘to hit half a million surgeries’

But the BMA said it was “absolutely behind” the decision for further action.

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The doctors were also accused by senior medics of staging “unforgiveable” strikes which were “disproportionate” to their contract row.

Six strikes have already taken place across England during the lengthy dispute, causing disruption to hundreds of thousands of patients who have had appointments and operations cancelled.

“So what we’re talking about is a completely unprecedented scale of disruption and negative impact on patients.it’s extremely worrying”.

“Five days of strike action, particularly at such short notice, will cause real problems for patients, the service and the profession”, said the Academy of Medical Royal Colleagues.

JUNIOR doctors defended stepping up their strike action yesterday against the hated seven-day contract being forced on them by NHS wrecker and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges – led by 22 of the country’s most senior doctors – said it was “disappointed”.

“Our board and the trusts we represent are therefore formally calling on the BMA to reconsider their proposed strikes for the sake of patients”.

The first five consecutive days of strike action will run from September 12-16, to be followed by five more in October, November and December, traditionally some of the busiest months with the rise of winter bug viruses.

Chief executive Katherine Murphy said it was a “disturbing” time to be an NHS patient.

She added that the public supported the medical profession but the extent of the strikes risked eroding public trust.

The new strikes are planned between the hours of 8am and 5pm on 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11 October; from 14-18 November and from 5-9 December.

In May, the BMA believed it had negotiated the best possible deal for junior doctors.

The BMA has threatened to go ahead with the escalated industrial action unless the Government cancels the planned imposition of a new contract on junior doctors.

The most recent Figures from NHS Education Scotland found a 27% per cent hike in the number of junior doctors wanting to train in the Scottish health service for 2016-17. “Patient safety and quality of care must be the priority”, the organisation said in statement.

Chair of the BMA junior doctors committee Dr Ellen McCourt said: “This is not a situation junior doctors wanted to find themselves in”.

Telford MP Lucy Allan today described fresh strikes by junior doctors as “irresponsible”.

He said: “The reason the strikes have been announced is the continued reluctance of the secretary of state for health to do anything other than impose a new contract on junior doctors, a contract in which junior doctors have demonstrated repeatedly that they do not have confidence”.

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Earlier, Prime Minister Theresa May accused the BMA of “playing politics”.

Junior doctors plan five day strike