A FURTHER 48-hour walkout by junior doctors is due to start at 8am on Wednesday, April 6, concluding at 8am on April 8, with emergency cover provided.

But a full walkout with no emergency cover is planned from 8am to 5pm on April 26 and 27, in a dramatic escalation of the dispute with government following the decision to impose a new contract in August.

British Medical Association (BMA) junior doctor chairman Dr Johann Malawana said: “No junior doctor wants to take this action but the government has left us with no choice. In refusing to lift imposition and listen to junior doctors’ outstanding concerns, the government will bear direct responsibility for the first full walkout of doctors in this country.

“We deeply regret the disruption to patients and our message to patients is clear; this action is wholly avoidable but the government must choose talks over imposition.

“The fact that tens of thousands of junior doctors have taken industrial action and 98 per cent of those who voted support action including a full withdrawal of labour, demonstrates the continued strength of feeling among junior doctors about this politically driven imposition.

“Junior doctors are committed to ensuring the best possible care for their patients and already work seven days a week, around the clock under the existing contract. In focusing on junior doctors, the government is seeking, yet again, to gloss over the fact that the biggest barrier to a seven-day NHS is not doctors’ contracts, but a chronic lack of investment and a shortage of staff.”

Responding, Health Secretary and Farnham MP Jeremy Hunt said “the matter is closed” and there was no point in negotiating because of the stance taken by the union.

Mr Hunt was not present to answer an urgent question tabled by Labour in the House of Commons following the BMA announcement.

Labour Shadow Health Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “The Secretary of State may think the matter is closed. I say that is arrogant and dangerous in the extreme. This is an awful game of brinkmanship and the government must press the pause button before it is too late.”

Responding, Health Minister Ben Gummer said the BMA had “walked away from negotiations not once, not twice, but three times, unilaterally thwarting the efforts made in good faith to come to a settlement for a better contract” and accused it of “holding the country to ransom”.

Mr Gummer said: “At some point a democratically elected government must be able to keep the promises it has made to its people.

“The government has to its regret decided to move on and implement its new contract.”

A Survation poll taken following the BMA announcement revealed 73.5 per cent believed “under no circumstances should junior doctors refuse to treat urgent or emergency patients” with 43 per cent saying doctors should “never take industrial action, regardless of the circumstances”.