NHS bosses are drawing up contingency plans to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum during planned industrial action by junior doctors.

Thousands of staff employed by NHS England voted to support strike action over terms and conditions.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt called the decision "regrettable".

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, said patients would continue to receive treatment when needed.

A trust spokeswoman said: "Our priority is to provide high quality safe services to patients at all times - including during any periods of industrial action.

“We are putting contingency plans in place to ensure patient safety is not compromised by industrial action in any way and our high standards of patient care are maintained.

NHS trusts are prevented from using agencies that supply temporary workers to plug gaps in rotas caused by striking workers.

Trusts can use in-house banks and volunteer workers to cover shifts.

The GMB union has backed the planned industrial action.

National officer Rehana Azam said: "This overwhelming vote shows clearly that doctors and other NHS staff will oppose attempts by Government to redefine unsocial hours and to open the door for excessive working hours."

Mr Hunt said: "It is regrettable that junior doctors have voted for industrial action which will put patients at risk and see operations cancelled or delayed.

"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.

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

The first walk-out is expected to take place on December 1, with further industrial action later that month.