HEALTH Secretary and Farnham MP Jeremy Hunt has again expressed his disappointment at the British Medical Council (BMA) after it was confirmed a second strike by junior doctors will go ahead next week.

The industrial action will see BMA members across England, including doctors at Frimley Park and the Royal Surrey hospitals, walk-out for 24 hours starting at 8am on Wednesday, February 10, in a long-running dispute over a new junior doctors’ contract.

It comes after talks between the Department for Health and the BMA again failed to reach a solution following the first junior doctors’ strike in 40 years on Tuesday, January 12.

Elective operations and outpatient appointments may again be affected next week. However, emergency care will be maintained after union leaders dropped a threatened full withdrawal of labour.

In the wake of the BMA’s announcement, the MP for South West Surrey and Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, wrote to BMA council chairman Dr Mark Potter to express his disappointment at the union’s unwillingness to negotiate.

He said: “I am sorry to learn that the BMA will proceed with strike action for 24 hours from February 10, which will inevitably cause disruption for patients and see procedures cancelled.

“[Sir David Dalton - acting as an intermediary in the dispute] agrees with you that the only significant remaining issues to be resolved relate to pay and the extent of plain time-working hours. The Government and NHS Employers made a significant offer on the extent of plain time and stood ready to discuss these matters and it is very disappointing that the BMA felt unable to negotiate.

“As you know, your clear objective - and one which doctors share - is to improve the standard of care for patients at weekends.

“Our door remains open and I hope that you will continue to reflect on the value of further discussions. I hope that we will be able to deliver a new contract as soon as possible, as [Sir David] suggests, for the benefit of the health service.”

However, BMA junior doctors committee chair Johann Malawana said the Government’s refusal to move on its demand for a ‘seven-day NHS’ and threatened imposition of a contract leaves doctors with “no alternative” but to strike.

He said: “Over the past few weeks, we have welcomed the involvement of Sir David Dalton in talks about a new junior doctor contract, which recognises the need to protect patient care and doctors’ working lives.

“His understanding of the realities of a health service buckling under mounting pressures and commitment to reaching a fair agreement has resulted in good progress on a number of issues.

“It is, therefore, particularly frustrating that the Government is still digging in its heels.”

He added: ’The Government’s entrenched position in refusing to recognise Saturday working as unsocial hours, together with its continued threat to impose a contract so fiercely resisted by junior doctors across England, leaves us with no alternative but to continue with industrial action.”