Just one in three people support plans by doctors to stage five days of walkouts later this month, a new poll has revealed as tens of thousands of patients across the country face operations and appointments being cancelled.
Nearly half of those polled (49 per cent) oppose the planned industrial action called by the British Medical Association, a YouGov survey has found.
The figures showed a marked fall in support compared with previous industrial action. When doctors last went on strike, just before last year’s general election, YouGov found the action was supported by 59 per cent of the public, and opposed by 36 per cent.
It comes as a former Labour cabinet minister and union leader warned the BMA it had picked the wrong battle with the government, and told health secretary Wes Streeting it was a fight he had to win.
Alan Johnson, who was health secretary for two years under Tony Blair and who used to lead a union himself, told The Independent: “This has all the signs of the BMA leading their troops into a battle they can’t win, nor should they, given that government has honoured the pay review recommendations in full having settled last year’s dispute immediately on taking office.
“I doubt if there’s anybody with any trade union experience who thinks the BMA have chosen the right terrain on which to go to war with the government. This is a battle Wes Streeting has to win,” he added.
Medical leaders also warned resident doctors, as junior doctors are now known, that they may “never recover” the trust of patients if they go on strike again.
Mr Streeting has told junior doctors that after a 28.9 per cent pay rise last year when Labour entered government, the public would not understand why “you would still walk out on strike, and neither do I”.
But the new leader of the BMA has said that resident doctors’ 29 per cent pay demand is “non-negotiable” and warned strikes could go on for years.
Dr Tom Dolphin also claimed the demand was both reasonable and easily affordable for the NHS.
He said the union will not negotiate on or accept a figure lower than 29 per cent because that is the extent of the real-terms loss of earnings the BMA say doctors have seen since 2008 – a salary they want restored in full.
Former Tory health minister Steve Brine warned the strikes had the potential to “undo the good” that had been done on cutting NHS waiting lists.
Up to 50,000 resident doctors are expected to join the walkout from 7am on 25 July to 7am on 30 July.
About 1.5 million operations and appointments had to be cancelled during the last wave of industrial action by junior doctors.
Mr Streeting has urged the BMA to “listen to the public”. He said: “Instead of rushing down this unreasonable path, the BMA need to pause and think about the real risk of people losing trust in doctors and the damage that would do to our NHS and the entire medical profession.”
Lord Darzi of Denham, a surgeon who led a damning review of the NHS last year, said: “Doctors have a special place in society. The public’s trust in doctors is earned, not guaranteed. I fear it will never recover if the BMA go ahead with strikes that are plainly unjustifiable.”
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director, also said doctors must consider “how difficult it might be to recover public trust”.
