Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for doctors to be banned from striking.
Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, began their 15th strike since 2023 on Tuesday, while hundreds of British Medical Association (BMA) staff also began a 48-hour walkout on Monday in an ongoing row over pay.
Mrs Badenoch said the BMA 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 in the Daily Mail.
“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.”
She 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% of British adults oppose resident doctors going on strike.
Some 37% 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% 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.”
