Operations to be cancelled as doctors vote for industrial action on June 21 For surgeons and hospital doctors it would mean cancelling non-urgent operations and appointments but all cancer surgery, tests and other life threatening conditions would still be treated. Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of council at the BMA, said: "We are taking this step very reluctantly, and would far prefer to negotiate for a fairer solution. But this clear mandate for action - on a very high turnout - reflects just how let down doctors feel by the Government's unwillingness to find a fairer approach to the latest pension changes and its refusal to acknowledge the major reforms of 2008 that made the NHS scheme sustainable in the long term. Non-urgent work will be postponed and, although this will be disruptive to the NHS, doctors will ensure patient safety is protected. Should doctors be allowed to take industrial action? Health Secretary Andrew Lansley told BBC World at One the public would struggle to support the vote: "I don't think the public will remotely understand. It is a pension scheme that anyone in the public or private scheme would be glad to have. The BMA needs to know there will be no change in that deal as a result of any action they take. He said earlier: "People know that pension reform is needed as people live longer and to be fair in future for everyone. We have been clear that the NHS pension scheme is, and will remain, one of the best available anywhere. Every doctor within 10 years of retirement will receive the pension they expected, when they expected. Today's newly qualified doctor who works to 65 will get the same pension as the average consultant retiring today would receive at 60 - the BMA have already accepted a pension age of 65. If doctors choose to work to 68 then they could expect to receive a larger pension of £68,000. Responding to the publication of the results of the BMA ballot on industrial action, Dr Dan Poulter MP said: "As a doctor, my first duty is to my patients. That is why I would not participate in strike action. Doctors have taken the wrong decision today, urged on by their trade union the BMA. Industrial action will harm patient care. With the Government's final offer to doctors being a pension of £68,000 a year, the public will simply not understand why doctors have called for strike action over pensions that private sector workers and many other frontline NHS workers can only dream of. And they will be wondering how the Labour Party can support them. The row is over proposed changes will mean doctors currently under 50 having to work to 68, and paying more for their pensions. The top earning doctors would have to contribute 14 per cent of their salary to their pensions. However critics have said many doctors retire on 'gold-plated' packages that would be worth £1m if bought privately. Six separate ballots were sent out, one to each of the specialties. They asked two questions; whether they were prepared to take part in industrial action short of a strike; and whether they were prepared to take part in a strike. For maximum legal protection, BMA members were asked to vote yes to both questions if they wanted to take the action proposed, however this would not be an all out strike. Occupational health doctors were the only group where the majority voted against industrial action. Last week, Dr Laurence Buckman, chair of the BMA's GP committee, said the Coalition had "recklessly squandered" their goodwill with the changes after to pensions were only renegotiated four years ago. Last night a spokesman for Remedy UK, which represents around 9,000 junior and middle grade doctors said doctors should ask themselves if taking action was "morally justifiable" or was "just futile posturing," said the spokesman. Going on strike will do the medical profession incredible harm. Dean Royles, director of the NHS Employers organisation, said today: "We are deeply disappointed with the announcement from the BMA about their decision to take industrial action. Doctors know that any industrial action will impact on care and cause distress and disruption to patients and undermine trust and confidence in the medical profession. Doctors will now work locally with NHS trusts to assess the impact on local services and to consider the important question of communication with patients and public. We know that doctors are anxious about changes to their pensions. But no one wants to see patients dragged into the argument. Industrial action could potentially mean delays to treatment. It would be particularly distressing for patients and extremely worrying for staff who are dedicated to putting patients first.