Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer gave the BMA 48 hours' notice on Tuesday the offer would be withdrawn if the union went ahead with the six day strike from 7am on 7 April to 6.59am on 13 April.

A Department of Health and Social Care Spokesperson said: ‘Because the BMA resident doctors committee has not agreed to call off these strikes and put an offer to members, we will now not be able to deliver the 1,000 extra training places which the BMA asked for. These posts would have gone live this month, but as systems now need to prepare for strikes and more uncertainty, it simply won't be operationally or financially possible to launch these posts in April in time to recruit for this year - this won't impact the overall number of resident doctors and the NHS will be there for patients when they need it.

‘Our attention and that of leaders across the NHS is now on protecting patients, staff and our NHS by minimising disruption to the health service.'

BMA resident doctors committee chair Dr Jack Fletcher said: ‘It is not unexpected, but extremely disappointing to see the Government has scrapped 1,000 new specialty training places at a time when doctors so urgently need more jobs and patients so desperately need more doctors. 

‘It is genuinely disheartening to be at this point after what had been constructive talks up until a few weeks ago when the Government moved the goalposts. It is simply wrong that the development of the doctors of the future is being used as a pawn like this. 

‘We have consistently maintained that we are willing to postpone industrial action should a genuinely credible offer be provided.

‘This remains the case now, up to, and throughout any period of industrial action.'