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Jeremy Hunt has been accused of digging for dirt on junior doctors after pre-strike tactics were exposed in a leaked e-mail.

The message shows how hospitals were urged to hand over evidence of medics being obstructive towards the top Tory's 7-day NHS contract.

The Health Secretary has repeatedly accused the BMA union of refusing to negotiate ahead of doctors' first ever A&E walkout.

Now it has emerged hospital bosses were asked if they could provide cases of doctors declining to meet them.

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An urgent e-mail was sent to hospital trusts by state body NHS Improvement on Monday and leaked to the Health Service Journal.

It said: "Following a meeting between the Secretary of State and Kathy McLean, NHS Improvement's Medical Director this morning, we have been asked for some urgent information."

The e-mail listed one other point before saying: "Evidence that your trusts have tried to hold meetings with junior doctors but have not been successful as JDs are not engaging."

Labour Shadow Health Minister Justin Madders said: "It’s disgraceful that Jeremy Hunt is ordering hospital bosses to dig up dirt on junior doctors rather than trying to negotiate with them."

(Image: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

“This whole sorry saga has been made worse by the bullish behaviour of the Health Secretary who appears more interested in picking fights with junior doctors than doing what is in the best interest of patients," he added.

Up to 55,000 junior doctors will stage their fifth strike over pay and patient safety next Tuesday and Wednesday (April 26-27).

They will withdraw emergency cover for the first time, a move which prompted the GMC regulator to warn hospitals would "struggle to cope".

BMA chiefs offered to cancel the strike if Mr Hunt dropped his vow to impose the contract against doctors' will - but the top Tory refused.

NHS Improvement defended sending the e-mail.

(Image: Ellesmere Port Pioneer)

A spokesman said: "We've heard anecdotally that engagement with junior doctors was an issue for some trusts and wanted to check if this was the case.

"It's absolutely essential to know how well hospitals are able to engage with their clinicians as the new contract for junior doctors is introduced.

"This is a major undertaking and we're supporting trusts to engage with junior doctors because we want the contract to be introduced consistently and without compromising patient safety."

Asked if Mr Hunt was 'digging for dirt' to back his argument, a Department of Health spokesman said: "This is a better offer for junior doctors – 90 per cent agreed in talks – which will lead to shorter hours, better training and far higher basic pay, and so naturally we want to see that the facts are being communicated through the NHS to doctors working hard on the frontline, given how badly served those doctors have been by their union."