EMERGENCY services could be the only patient care provided if doctors in the North East take industrial action in protest at plans to change their pensions.

At a meeting held in Newcastle of more than 300 doctors – the second biggest gathering of its kind in the country – as many as 75% said they would be prepared to take industrial action up to the point of, on occasions, just providing emergency cover.

Today 130,000 doctors and medical students from around the country will officially inform the British Medical Association (BMA) of their views on the latest pension offer and on the action they would be prepared to take.

Leading medics said it was the first time in living memory that a Government could force doctors to ballot for industrial action and it was a clear sign of the immense anger held among the profession about the pension reforms.

Dr Gerard Reissmann, a GP in Newcastle said: “Doctors are clearly angry and a key concern is the fact that the Government is trying to make people work until they are 68.

“Almost everybody at the meeting in Newcastle was of an age where they would not be affected by the pension reforms, but they were campaigning for the younger doctors – it is about keeping high quality doctors in the health service in the years to come.

“Yes industrial action would be a short-term inconvenience for patients but it is balanced out by the fact that we must safeguard the long-term future of the NHS.

“We do not want to be in a situation where we are losing out on good doctors and a high-quality level of care because people are not wanting to enter the profession.”