Image copyright EPA Image caption Junior doctors held their latest strike on Wednesday

The dispute over the imposition of a new contract for junior doctors "could become a war" between NHS staff, employers and the government, the public service union has told the BBC.

Unison's Christina McAnea said imposing the contract "sends a very worrying message to other members of staff".

"Everybody else is really worried that if they can do this to doctors, what does that mean for us?" said Ms McAnea.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said the contract will improve patient care.

He has criticised the British Medical Association (BMA), which represents doctors, for failing to reach a deal over the past three years and said the contract is an "important step" in improving care at weekends.

Ms McAnea told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Our feeling is the government wants to extend seven-day services but they don't want to fund it.

"They want staff to fund it through accepting cuts to pay and conditions."

Asked if she thought more strikes were likely from other categories of NHS staff if contracts were imposed on them, she said: "Yes, if there is a cut to unsocial hours payments or an imposition [of a new contract] then I think they would look to take some kind of action."

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The junior doctors row explained

Reaction to the junior doctors' dispute

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A petition on a government website calling for a vote of no confidence in Mr Hunt has gained more than 180,000 signatures - above the 100,000 threshold for a Commons debate to be considered.

The office of the Conservatives in Fareham said it had cancelled a public event with the health secretary on Friday evening "on security grounds" after critics of the government's reforms began circulating details of the reception online.

A smaller private event went ahead at a different venue.

Opportunities abroad?

Paul Brooks, who runs an agency placing doctors in jobs abroad, told the BBC he had seen only "a few" more enquiries from junior doctors.

"Most, though, do not seem to be wanting to go overseas yet, as juniors. It's the doctors who have got their specialisation who are looking to move overseas - GPs or A&E doctors," said Mr Brooks.

"In the traditional places like Australia and New Zealand, there are many fewer jobs now than there were. They've trained quite a lot of their own doctors - there are already more doctors in Australia per head of population than we have here by quite a significant number.

"And I just don't think the opportunities are there for doctors without a specialisation."

However, he said the opportunities for GPs in Australia were "definitely better".

"It's fairly clear cut that they're getting a better quality of life," he said.

What is the latest contract offer?