Junior doctors are set to stage five consecutive days of further industrial action as the longstanding dispute over a new contract for training medics drawn up by Jeremy Hunt continues.

The British Medical Association (BMA) approved further industrial action at a meeting on Wednesday afternoon as rows between doctors and the Government over the contract continue.

Junior doctors are to stage strikes with “full withdrawal of labour” between 12 and 16 September, the BMA has announced.

Earlier this month, Ellen McCourt, who chairs the BMA’s junior doctors committee (JDC) said the JDC was asking the BMA Council to authorise a “rolling programme of escalated action beginning in early September”, adding that by “standing together” they could demand the Health Secretary takes them seriously.

In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Doctor in acute medicine, Melissa Haskins, holds up a 'I ain't afraid of no Hunt' sign whilst striking with other junior doctors outside her hospital, St Thomas' Hospital in London Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Accident and emergency junior doctor, Jennifer Hulse, holds a homemade placard outside St Thomas' Hospital as she strikes with colleagues in London Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Demonstrators and Junior doctors hold placards as they protest outside the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, in Basingstoke during a strike by junior doctors Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Demonstrators and Junior doctors hold placards as they protest outside the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, in Basingstoke during a strike by junior doctors Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike A supporter displays a slogan on her bag during a junior doctors' strike outside St Thomas' Hospital in London Reuters In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike The picket line outside King's College Hospital in London PA In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike The picket line outside King's College Hospital in London, as thousands of junior doctors begun the first all-out strike in the history of the NHS after the Health Secretary said the Government would not be "blackmailed" into dropping its manifesto pledge for a seven-day health service PA In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Junior doctors and supporters take part in a strike outside the Royal United Hospital in Bath Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Doctor in acute medicine, Melissa Haskins, holds up a 'I ain't afraid of no Hunt' sign whilst striking with other junior doctors outside her hospital, St Thomas' Hospital in London Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary visits a British Medical Association picket line at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, to show support for striking junior doctors on the second day of the union's annual health conference PA

In a letter released to members earlier in the month, Ms McCourt lambasted the Government for remaining “persistently silent” on the issues she said had led to the rejection of the contract.

It comes after the Government announced it would impose a new contract after junior doctors and medical students voted – by 58 per cent – to reject a contract brokered with the BMA.

A series of strikes took place between January and April after the junior doctors failed to come to an agreement with the Government over a proposed new contract.