Dr Richard Rawlins, ­honorary secretary, South Devon Division, British Medical Association, of Glendene, Beacon Road, Kingswear, writes:

I have represented my ­profession since I qualified as a doctor in 1968, but never expected to experience a strike.

I am now retired, but personally I would not have gone on strike as there are so many ways by which intransigent employers can be brought to the negotiating table without withdrawing doctors’ labour.

For one, doctors are required to obtain fully informed ­consent before undertaking any procedure or prescribing any drug. At present most consent taking is frankly superficial. It is certainly quick. If doctors ‘worked to rule’ – as they surely should – the extra time taken would gum up the entire ­service. My letter suggesting this approach has been ­published by the BMA News.

Nevertheless, doctors have decided they cannot bring Mr Hunt to the negotiating table without strike action. What alternative is there? Acquiesce with an imposed contract?

Do patients really want to be treated by demoralised, depressed, disaffected, disenchanted doctors working under duress? Can such doctors be relied upon to remain conscientious and safe? Patients must be the judges.

What is clear is that Mr Cameron wants a ‘seven-day service’ in the NHS. Doctors already provide this for ­accidents and emergencies, but Mr Cameron wants elective planned care seven days a week. Perhaps to make NHS services more attractive for a sell-off to commercial interests.

The BMA has asked Mr Cameron seven questions about his plans, not least how he will pay for them. He has answered only one.

As Mark Porter, chairman of the BMA Council, said: ‘Everything the Government couldn’t or didn’t try to answer about seven-day services was put on the shoulders of junior doctors in an unfair, unworkable contract.’

Patients who are ­concerned should advise their local MP – a doctor, no less – that if our doctors are not looked after, they will not be able to look after us.