A staggering half a million operations could be cancelled in the wave of strikes planned by doctors, health service chiefs warned yesterday.
They piled pressure on the divided British Medical Association to rein in the strikers by saying another 4mn outpatients would lose appointments in “a completely unprecedented scale of disruption”.
Junior doctors will stage full strikes from September 12 to 16, then on October 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11, November 14 to 18, and December 5 to 9 in their ongoing dispute over a controversial new contract.
The government is hoping that pressure from other doctors and public anger will force the BMA to reconsider.
Reports suggest that the latest disruption was not fully backed by BMA members, with the Daily Mail saying a leaked ballot showed just 31.5% of members supported a full walkout which was time-limited. 
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents health service leaders, said: “I think it’s very concerning — we’re talking about five days in September, which is just 12 days’ notice to prepare, which is the shortest time we’ve ever had to prepare, and then we’re talking about sets of five days of strikes. That’s equivalent to half a million cancelled operations and 4mn lost outpatient appointments.
“So what we’re talking about is a completely unprecedented scale of disruption and negative impact on patients... it’s extremely worrying.”
The Patients Association warned that the decision to strike had triggered “apprehension” among the public.
Chief executive Katherine Murphy said: “This is a devastating blow to patients, and a destructive next step as far as any kind of negotiations go.”
But the BMA said it was “absolutely behind” the decision for further action.
BMA chairman Dr Mark Porter said: “I have to say it beggars belief that we can be accused of playing politics in this when the stated reason of the government proceeding is that it was in their party manifesto. That, to me, is playing politics.”
Meanwhile Nigel Edwards, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust health charity, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the planned strikes would represent a “quite significant step up” in terms of what is likely to be asked of senior doctors tasked with ensuring that care continues during industrial action.
He added there had been a “quite obvious shift in the opinion” of medical leaders in relation to the strikes.
In the wake of the industrial action, Prime Minister Theresa May has accused the BMA of failing to put patients first and “playing politics” — but this is something doctors have denied.