Doctors to hold four-day strike after Easter

JUNIOR doctors will ramp up their industrial action with an unprecedented four- day strike after pay talks collapsed.

Up to 47,600 medics below the rank of consultant will refuse to work across all departments, including A&E, cancer and maternity wards, in the most disruptive strike action in NHS history.

After talks with the Government broke down after less than an hour on Wednesday, the British Medical Association announced the 96-hour walkout will affect shifts between 6.59am on April 11 and 6.59am on April 15.

The timing immediately after the Easter bank holiday weekend will place additional pressure on the health service when there is typically more demand.

Health leaders warn the withdrawal of labour – in pursuit of a 35 per cent pay rise – will inevitably ‘impact patient safety and dignity’. They fear around 250,000 appointments and operations will have to be cancelled as a result of the action.

It follows the 175,000 cancellations when junior doctors went on strike for three days last week.

Talks between union representatives and Health Secretary Steve Barclay broke down amid claims that medics refused to negotiate. Whitehall sources say the BMA had indicated they would be unwilling to accept anything less than a 35 per cent pay rise. Representatives also demanded free parking, the abolition of exam fees and a guarantee that future pay rises would be linked to inflation.

But the BMA later said: ‘We have not made 35 per cent a pre-condition to talks. In fact, we have set no pre- conditions, unlike the Health Secretary.’