Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for a ban on doctors striking.
Her comments come shortly after resident doctors began their 15th walkout since 2023 on Tuesday.
Hundreds of British Medical Association (BMA) staff also commenced a 48-hour strike on Monday, amid an ongoing dispute over pay.
Ms Badenoch criticised the BMA, writing in the Daily Mail that it was “betraying the patients that its members swore to serve”.
“If the BMA refuses to act reasonably, the Government must step in to ensure the safety of patients,” she wrote.
“That’s why I will ban resident doctors and consultants from going on strike – as we already do for the police and armed forces.
“We will reintroduce minimum service levels across the NHS, so that all patients know the NHS will always be there when they need it.”
Ms Badenoch said the move was “not anti-doctor – it’s pro-patient”, and said her father had dedicated his life to patients as a GP.
She also accused the Labour government of choosing unions over patients.
Her comments come after new YouGov polling, conducted on Tuesday, found that 55 per cent of British adults oppose resident doctors going on strike.
Some 37 per cent said they support the action, according to the survey of 4,385 adults in Great Britain.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “People and patients are understandably fed up.
“I share their frustration, given the BMA have walked away from a ground-breaking deal, which would have seen their members 35.2 per cent better off on average than four years ago, reimbursed mandatory exam fees worth thousands of pounds, and created up to 4,500 new speciality training places.
“My priority is now protecting patients and staff by minimising disruption to the health service.”
The health secretary has urged patients in need of medical attention to come forward as normal, but acknowledged delayed appointments “will leave people waiting in pain or anxiety longer than is necessary”.
Urgent and emergency care will run as usual, and NHS England said that it will keep as much pre-planned care running as possible.
But health leaders have said the walkout will be “challenging due to the shorter notice period” and because of the action taking place during the Easter holidays, when many NHS staff will have booked time off with their families.
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