Government ‘will not return to negotiating table over junior doctors row’

The government is unwilling to enter into further negotiations over the junior doctors' contract dispute, according to a report.

Sources confirmed to BBC News that the government considers the British Medical Association (BMA) to have "blown its chance to negotiate", meaning there will be no deviation from plans to impose the contract in the summer.

Talks over the contract, which the BMA has described as unfair and unsafe, broke down in January, leading to strike action by junior doctors on four occasions. The most recent of these lasted for 48 hours and came to an end at 08:00 today (April 8th).

For each of these strikes, care provided by junior doctors was limited to emergency care only. However, an all-out strike is planned for April 26th and 27th, which will be the first time in NHS history this has happened.

In a statement, the Department of Health said the government has been left with "no choice" but to impose the new contract, despite the BMA pursuing legal challenges against the decision.