JUNIOR doctors were expected to take to the streets of Farnham at the heart of health secretary Jeremy Hunt’s constituency today (Thursday) to protest against the imposition of an “unsafe and unfair” contract they believe puts patients at risk.

The second ‘Meet the Doctors’ event held in Farnham during the ongoing dispute between doctors’ union, the British Medical Association, and the Department of Health was timed to coincide with a 48-hour withdrawal of non-emergency care starting at 8am on Wednesday.

Junior doctors from Frimley Park and the Royal Surrey hospitals were scheduled to greet members of the public in Lion and Lamb Yard from midday on Thursday, April 7, after The Herald went to press.

Dr Elizabeth Potter, an anaesthetic and intensive care registrar at the Royal Surrey County Hospital and organiser of the Farnham ‘Meet the Doctors’ campaign, said: “The unprecedented strength of feeling regarding the Government’s actions over the junior doctor contract has propelled doctors to take action and speak to the public directly about their very real and justified concerns.

“The contract has been rushed through with no adequate safeguards limiting hours worked by doctors. The contractual changes could see multiple handovers, poor continuity of care and jet-lagged exhausted doctors. Not to mention the fact that it is openly discriminatory.

“We urge Mr Cameron to step in and the government to return to the negotiation table to deliver a contract that is both fair and safe.”

A further ‘Meet the Doctors’ event is set to take place in Farnham on Saturday, April 16, ahead of a full withdrawal of labour, including emergency cover, from 8am to 5pm on April 26 to 27.

This second scheduled strike represents a dramatic escalation of the dispute following health secretary and MP for South West Surrey Jeremy Hunt’s decision to impose a new contract this August, and has attracted fierce criticism from the Government.

A Department of Health spokesman said: “This escalation of industrial action by the BMA is both desperate and irresponsible – and will inevitably put patients in harm’s way.

“If the BMA had agreed to negotiate on Saturday pay, as they promised to do through ACAS in November, we’d have a negotiated agreement by now – instead, we had no choice but to proceed with proposals recommended and supported by NHS leaders.”

Mr Hunt has previously argued the new junior doctors contract is vital to delivering the government’s key manifesto pledge to introduce a ‘seven-day’ NHS by 2020, and to reduce higher weekend mortality rates “in some clinical areas”.

According to the BMA, which launched a judicial review last Thursday challenging the lawfulness of the health secretary’s decision, a previous ballot of junior doctors saw 98 per cent vote in favour of industrial action including full withdrawals of service.

However, 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”.

• A number of operations and outpatient clinics at Frimley Park and the Royal Surrey hospitals have been rescheduled as a result of the planned industrial action by junior doctors this week.

Both hospitals have already notified all patients who will be affected by the national action taking place between 8am on Wednesday, April 6, and 8am Friday, April 8.

Anyone who hasn’t been notified is advised to attend their appointment as planned.

A Frimley Park spokesman said: “We are working to make sure that we can continue to operate as many services as possible in a way that remains safe for our patients.

“Anyone arriving at our hospitals needing urgent medical care will be seen and treated as usual.”