HEALTH Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced a controversial new contract will be imposed on NHS junior doctors after talks with the British Medical Association (BMA) again failed to settle a bitter dispute.

Addressing ministers in the House of Commons on Thursday, Mr Hunt said he had no choice but to act finally on his longstanding threat after the BMA this week rejected a “best and final” offer amid junior doctors’ second 24-hour strike in a month.

As such, the new contract, which Mr Hunt says is vital to delivering the Government’s key manifesto pledge to introduce a ‘seven-day’ NHS by 2020, will be imposed on August 1 - increasing the likelihood of further confrontation and industrial action.

Criticising the BMA for a lack of flexibility in talks, Mr Hunt, the MP for South-West Surrey, told the Commons: “While I understand that this process has generated considerable dismay among junior doctors I believe that the new contract we are introducing is one that, in time, can command the confidence of both the workforce and their employers.”

It comes after doctors at the two major hospitals serving Farnham – Frimley Park and the Royal Surrey in Guildford – joined the picket lines on Wednesday, forcing the rescheduling of many elective operations and outpatient appointments.

Sir Andrew Morris, chief executive of Frimley Park Hospital, visited the picket line at Frimley to show solidarity with his staff, declaring: "Junior doctors are the lifeblood of our hospitals."

The BMA has vowed to fight on in the wake of Mr Hunt’s announcement and said it is "considering all options” - hinting at the prospect of legal action, mass resignations, and doctors refusing to sign contracts.

BMA GP lead Dr Johann Malawana said: "The Government’s shambolic handling of this process from start to finish has totally alienated a generation of junior doctors, the hospital doctors and GPs of the future, and there is a real risk that some will vote with their feet.

"Our message to the government is clear - junior doctors cannot and will not accept a contract that is bad for the future of patient care, the profession and the NHS as a whole, and we will consider all options open to us.”