Senior medics in England say more resident doctor strikes would be futile

Exclusive: Letter from six top figures says more walkouts by junior colleagues would help those who oppose the NHS

• Letter: Resident doctors should vote against strike action

Six senior figures in England's medical profession have criticised potential strikes by resident doctors as a futile gesture" that will harm patients and help those who oppose the NHS.

The move is the first public evidence of the significant unease many senior doctors feel about the possibility of their junior colleagues staging a new campaign of industrial action in England.