Who is to blame for the junior doctors strike?

The British Medical Association confirmed yesterday that 98 per cent of junior doctors voted to take industrial action, including strike action, in protest at proposed changes to their contracts.

Doctors will provide emergency care only starting December 1, and full walkouts are planned on December 8 and 16.

Over 37,000 doctors were balloted, and turnout was at 76%.

The NHS is braced for the wave of strikes after junior doctors voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in their dispute with the Government over pay and working hours.

The 157 doctors warned that "a demoralised workforce, who will see a pay cut and unfair rates of remuneration for hours worked, will leave the NHS".

"We hope junior doctors will consider the impact this action - especially the withdrawal of emergency care - will have on patients and reconsider".

She said: "Do you understand junior doctors are particularly angry about the way in which the Health Secretary has repeatedly conflated the reform of the junior doctor contract with seven-day services?"

Junior doctors are preparing to walk out over proposed changes to their contracts - which could lead to "inevitable" disruption for patients in Hastings.

Mr Hunt was instead cooking up plans to break the strike in his Westminster office, according to the junior health minister sent in his place.

The junior doctors voted to strike after talks between the BMA and government broke down.

Dr Nigel Sturrock, Executive Medical Director for Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Providing safe care for our patients is always our priority, and measures are now being put in place to ensure that this will continue over the period of industrial action".

The union has refused to get back round the negotiating table with the Government in the row over a new contract, which is set to be imposed from next summer on doctors working up to consultant level.

This will deter junior doctors from becoming the new cancer specialists of the future, they added.

The vote for strike action has received the full backing of Unison and speaking after the ballot result was made public, secretary general Dave Prentice said: "This result sends a clear message that staff will no longer tolerate the government's approach of making savings in the health service exclusively by withholding pay and cutting jobs".

"We want to ensure patients have the same quality of care across the week, and have put forward a generous offer that increases basic pay by 11 per cent and reduces doctors' hours". The new contract would mean they would only receive higher pay for weekday evenings after 10pm, Saturday evenings after 7pm and all day Sunday.

"We want to sit around a table and negotiate".

He said: "I have spoken to a number of junior doctors in my patch who have concerns but most of their concerns have now been addressed by the Department of Health".

Meanwhile, the strike would begin with three action days in December unless the talks resume. "That was his concern for patient safety and I think that is a reasonable one".

Dr David Wrigley, Lancashire BMA representative, described the prospective strike action as "unprecedented".