WITH picket lines expected outside the region's major hospitals this week, a leading North-east consultant has called on the Health Secretary to rethink his approach to the junior doctors dispute.

Middlesbrough consultant and National Health Action Party member Dr Clive Peedell said he fears NHS staff shortages if the Government presses ahead with the controversial new contract.

Dr Peedell said: "“There are real fears that Jeremy Hunt’s response to this week’s strike will be to go ahead and impose the unsafe and unfair '24/7’ contract. The numbers of doctors leaving the service will grow as a consequence, leaving even more specialities at critical staffing levels.

"No Secretary of State for Health with a real concern for the people and an ability to use evidence-based policy could possibly make that choice at this point."

Junior doctors are expected to take industrial action on Wednesday (February 10) when picket lines will be set up outside Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, Darlington Memorial Hospital and the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton.

Over the weekend, Mr Hunt accused the British Medical Association of behaving in a 'totally irresponsible way' and 'spreading misinformation' about the proposed deal.

Speaking on the BBC this morning (Sunday), Mr Hunt said: "What we will end up with is a contract that is better for patients, but also better for doctors."

Mr Hunt acknowledged there was anger within the workforce, but added: "What I would say is one of the reasons for that anger - and there is anger there - is because they were told by the BMA that their pay was going to be cut. It isn't.

"They were told that they were going to be asked to work longer hours. They aren't, we are actually bringing down the hours they work."

Mr Hunt added: "The single issue that we are still at loggerheads on is this question of unsocial hours on Saturdays, I have said my door is open, I'm happy to do that.

"The BMA are saying they don't want to talk about that. What I am saying is rather than cancelling more operations, come and talk."

Dr Johann Malawana, BMA junior doctor committee chairman, reacted angrily to the minister's accusations.

He said: “We want to reach a negotiated agreement – no doctor wants to take industrial action, and our door has always been open to talks. But the government is putting politics before reason, and their continued threat to impose a contract that junior doctors have roundly rejected leaves us with no option."

He added: “This action is wholly avoidable but Jeremy Hunt's shambolic mishandling of this situation means he risks alienating a generation of junior doctors and undermining the delivery of future patient care.”