Results from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests carried out by the BMA show that across 23 London trusts at least 32,576 shifts have been offered to doctors but have not been filled. 

In addition, the pay rates that London hospitals offer doctors to do extra shifts are capped lower than other parts of the country. The BMA believes trusts are 'colluding to keep the rates universally low' across all sites and this means shifts are going unfilled as pay rates are not competitive enough and often worse than those offered outside of the capital.

London Resident doctor and co-chair of the BMA North Thames Regional Resident Doctors' Committee, Dr Shivam Sharma, said: ‘It's only common sense that if trusts abandoned the medical rate cap and paid these shifts more competitively, as trusts in other parts of the country can do, we would see fewer rota gaps and better-staffed hospitals.

'We're urging doctors across London to sign up to our campaign pledge and help us to scrap the cap.'  

The BMA says it has invited London NHS trusts to negotiations to agree fair rates for all extra work doctors do across the capital, but these calls have gone unanswered by London's NHS Trusts.  

In response, NHS England, said: 'London's top priority is patient safety, and we work closely with trusts and systems cross the capital to support best practice.

'On average, around 90% of shifts are filled in hospitals across London and for those that aren't, there could be a variety of reasons for not filling them.'