Most of the public support the all-out junior doctors' strike, a new poll revealed tonight.

The Ipsos MORI survey for BBC News came as medics prepare for tomorrow's walkout, when emergency care will be withheld for the first time in the bitter dispute. A second walkout will take place on Wednesday.

The poll showed that 57% of adults in England support the strike, while a quarter oppose it.

That compares to just 44% who said they would support the strike if emergency care was withheld when asked by the same pollsters in January.

However, the strike had the support of 64% of the public last month, when emergency care was still being provided.

Most people still think the Government is most at fault for the ongoing dispute, but an increasing number think ministers and doctors are equally to blame.

More than a third - 35% - blame both sides equally, up from 28% in March and 18% in February.

Some 54% say the Government is most at fault, but that is down from 57% in March and 64% in February.

The proportion saying the doctors are at fault has also fallen to 8%, from 11% in March and 13% in February.

Anna Quigley, Ipsos Mori's head of health research, said: !We’re seeing today that support for the junior doctors is still prevalent among much of the public, even when emergency care is withheld.

"However, support is not as high as when we were polling for the strikes where emergency care was provided, as we suggested might happen in January. However, the erosion of public support has not been as stark as the January polling suggested, and the public still have some patience left for the junior doctors’ cause."

LAST-DITCH PLEA

In the Commons today, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt today issued a last-ditch plea to junior doctors not to take part in the strikes over the imposition of a new contract.

"I wish to appeal directly to all junior doctors not to withdraw emergency cover, which creates particular risks for A&Es, maternity units and intensive care units," Mr Hunt told MPs.

"The public will rightly question whether this is appropriate or proportionate action by professionals whose patients depend on them," he added.

But his Labour shadow Heidi Alexander tore into her opposite number, accusing him of deliberately ignoring a cross-party proposal to avert the strikes.

She said: "Tomorrow’s strike is one of the saddest days in the history of the NHS and the saddest thing is the person sat opposite me could have prevented it.

"Yesterday the Health Secretary was presented with a genuine and constructive cross-party proposal to pilot the contract, this would have enabled him to make progress towards his manifesto commitment on seven-day services and crucially could have potentially averted this week’s strike," she said.