After a two-day strike by senior doctors forced 67,762 appointments across hospital, mental health and community services to be rescheduled and a total of 822,317 appointments to be rescheduled since industrial action started in the NHS last December, Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said:

"The NHS can't go on like this. More strikes can be averted if the government and unions sit down and talk.

"More than 820,000 routine treatments and appointments have had to be put back due to industrial action right across hospital, ambulance, mental health and community services since December.

"That massive number will jump when consultants strike again next month and a two-day strike by radiographers at some trusts this week will add to the disruption for the NHS and patients. Every strike has a knock-on effect with tens of thousands more appointments having to be rescheduled too.

"Trust leaders understand the strength of feeling among striking staff. Eight straight months of industrial action will have a long-lasting effect on already low morale and hinder efforts to cut waiting lists – a government priority.

"Keeping patients safe is the number one priority for trusts and they will keep pulling out all the stops to minimise disruption. But every strike is making the job harder and more expensive to provide cover."