A LEADING town medic believes Jeremy Hunt will be replaced as health secretary, as junior doctors plan a further day of strike action tomorrow.

Dr Peter Swinyard, who works at Toothill’s Phoenix Surgery, spoke out after it was claimed the health secretary blocked a deal which would have resolved the junior doctors’ strike, something Hunt denied.

“I believe that Jeremy Hunt is deeply intransigent, not listening and trying to make the public believe something that simply isn’t true. I think the only solution is to find a health secretary who can connect with the public and listen to the doctors concerns,” Dr Swinyard said.

“I have seen him on television basically falling apart when confronted with people who know the facts. This needs to change.

“It is so painful for doctors to have to do this, it doesn’t bear thinking about.

"No doctor wants walk out of a hospital or surgery, it is against everything they believe in.”

When questioned in the Commons today, health secretary Hunt said the British Medical Association had declined to re-enter talks with the Department of Health.

“The only reason we do not have a solution on the junior doctors is because in December on the one outstanding issue, which is about pay on Saturdays, the BMA said they would negotiate but last month they said they refused to negotiate.

“That is the only outstanding issue. If they are prepared to negotiate and be flexible on that so are we.”

Great Western Hospital, which currently employs 291 junior medics, will see an acute loss of its workforce with scheduled procedures such as hip replacements, knee operations and routine clinics set to encounter interruption and delays.

Junior medics will take to the picket line from 8am tomorrow, providing emergency care only at the hospital.

Oonagh Fitzgerald, HR director at the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said plans were in place to ensure minimal disruption to their services.

“While this is a national dispute with the government, some of our junior doctors will be taking part and we are planning our services accordingly to ensure that patient safety is maintained at all times and disruption at the Great Western Hospital is kept to a minimum," she said.

“On Wednesday, February 10, we will be offering the same service to that of a Bank Holiday, which means a small number of routine operations have been postponed. This is so that we can continue to treat patients needing emergency care and those needing urgent care, such as cancer patients.

“Any patient whose appointment is likely to be affected, will be contacted and given an alternative date at the earliest opportunity. Unless contacted, patients should attend hospital as planned.

“Patients requiring emergency care, as well as women in labour, should attend hospital as normal.”

The junior doctor’s protest began when the Department of Health announced plans which could cut junior doctors pay by 40 percent and make them work much longer hours. Extra evening and Saturday pay will be lost as a result.

The contract, which will come into force this summer will see junior doctors normal working week changed to include Saturday and stretch until 10pm every weeknight except Sunday.

Under Mr Hunt’s concessions, the Saturday working hours have been curbed from 7am to 7pm but are still the main point of contention in the contract dispute.