Patients will suffer as junior doctors strike for four days this week, NHS leaders warned. The public was told to avoid “risky behaviour” as levels of care available would be greatly reduced.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, agreed the action posed risks to patient safety and called on the public to avoid “risky behaviour”.

He warned: “These strikes are going to have a catastrophic impact on the capacity of the NHS to recover services [post-Covid].

“The health service has to meet high levels of demand at the same time as making inroads into that huge backlog.

“That’s a tough thing to do at the best of times – it’s impossible when strikes are continuing.”

NHS bosses fear up to 350,000 operations and appointments will be cancelled as some 86,000 junior doctors walk out from 7am today until 7am on Saturday.

They are asking for a 35 per cent pay rise to compensate for 15 years of below-inflation wage increases.

The British Medical Association is locked in a stand-off with Health Secretary Steve Barclay after they were unable to agree terms in order to meet for negotiations.

But Mr Taylor urged both sides to abandon their “battle of rhetoric” and begin talks.

And he pleaded with the public to use the NHS in “the most responsible way you can”.

Mr Taylor added: “If you have a medical emergency you need to call 999, but if you have a concern there’s 111, the NHS website.

“Try to avoid risky behaviour because the NHS is not going to be able to provide the level of care that we want to provide.

“The most important thing is the two sides have got to start talking.”

The timing of the strikes after the Easter Bank Holiday and during Ramadan and Passover has ­created a “perfect storm”, Mr Taylor believes.

He added: “We should consider asking the Government and unions to call in Acas, the conciliation service, to provide basis for negotiations.”

The extended walkout will see pharmacists, GPs and community staff reportedly helping plug gaps.

The BMA says it will not exempt specific services such as A&E, unlike nursing unions during their strikes. But it plans to pull junior doctors off picket lines if hospitals report lives are in danger.

The Department of Health and Social Care said the Government is working with NHS England to put contingency plans in place to protect patients.

A spokesman said: “The NHS will prioritise resources to protect emergency treatment, critical care, maternity and neonatal care, and trauma.”

But Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said hospital trust leaders were “deeply worried”.

She said: “It’s coming off the back of a four-day bank holiday, you will see pent-up demand.

“Rather than being able to recover and catch up, trusts will be facing a four-day strike.

“The other step-change is a degree of pressure we haven’t experienced on emergency services.”

Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, insisted the redeployment of senior staff would ensure patient safety.

He added: “We want to be able to sort this out reasonably but it’s Mr Barclay who is putting up preconditions and various stonewalls.”

Mr Barclay said the BMA’s decision to press ahead with the strike was “extremely disappointing”.

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