DOCTORS at the two major hospitals serving Haslemere have criticised MP Jeremy Hunt’s “posturing” for causing major disruption to hospital services this week, after a 24-hour strike by junior doctors was called off at the 11th hour.

The walk-out scheduled for last Tuesday was suspended the night before after a last-minute breakthrough in talks between the British Medical Association (BMA) and Health Secretary Mr Hunt, the MP for South West Surrey.

But it came too late for many hospitals including the Royal Surrey County Hospital and Frimley Park, to reschedule operations and clinics cancelled in anticipation of the walk-out.

Royal Surrey medical director Christopher Tibbs said: “In the run-up to the first day of the proposed junior doctor strikes, we worked hard to minimise the impact on our patients.

“We had planned to continue the majority of our outpatient services, including all chemotherapy and radiotherapy appointments.

“We also planned to proceed with many elective surgery procedures, and much of the endoscopy clinic.

“Unfortunately, there were some clinics we had to reduce or cancel and our appointment centre team is working hard to re-accommodate those patients affected.

“We had not yet altered any planned services for the two later proposed strike days so there will not be any impact on these days.

“We would like to thank our patients fort their understanding and our staff for their hard work in minimising the impact to our patients.”

Defending junior doctors actions, Elizabeth Potter, an anaesthetic and intensive care registrar at the RSCH said: “We believe the contract Jeremy Hunt plans to impose will be unsafe for patients and be the breaking point of the NHS.

“We currently operate a good seven-day emergency service and an elective five-day service. He plans to stretch the elective five-day service to cover seven-days. That is not done anywhere else in the world.

“The Royal College of Physicians has estimated that 40,000 extra junior doctors would be required for a truly ‘seven-day NHS’. However, Mr Hunt plans to do this with no extra staff and no extra funding.

“The one thing he does plan to change is the current robust safeguards on our hours, which will be removed.

“We believe this would leave the entire service extremely stretched to breaking point where adequate patient safety could not be maintained.”

Mr Hunt and the BMA will now spend the next month discussing the detail of an outline agreement, the outcome of which must be presented to BMA members no later than Wednesday, January 13 to avoid further strike action.

Mr Hunt said: “This was a victory for common sense and great news for patients, who could have faced disruption at best and serious harm at worst if the strikes had gone ahead.

“Our preference has always been a negotiated solution, but unfortunately the BMA had refused to enter negotiations since October 2014.

“However, last week I agreed to meet them under the auspices of the ACAS conciliation service.

“Discussions led to an agreement with the BMA on Monday evening.

“This agreement allows a limited period during which negotiations can take place, and during which the BMA agrees to suspend strike action and the government agrees not to proceed with implementing a new contract.”