Health secretary wrong to say many junior doctors do not support strike, says BMA – UK politics live

Victoria Atkins had claimed many junior doctors were unhappy about the BMA's decision to call strikes for this week

NHS Employers has said hospital staffing levels seen during this week's junior doctors' strike in England will not be sustainable" when they stage the longest walkout the health service has ever seen next month.

Danny Mortimer, the chief executive of NHS Employers, which is part of the NHS Confederation, made the point in a letter to the BMA seen by PA Media. In it Mortimer said January would be when the NHS faced greatest pressure on services and teams, each and every year".

In a system already facing enormous demand, it is the week that most teams dread as it is likely to be the busiest for emergency care.

Your joint letter with NHS England makes clear that in relation to the December action that the staff recall and derogations process remains largely the same as the previous strikes.

I recognise that there are countless examples where our colleagues are not able to do their very best for their patients, but the first fortnight in January is one of the times when this risk dramatically increases.

I would urge the leadership of the BMA to not therefore make this position worse during strike action in January.