HEALTH Secretary Jeremy Hunt is "not fit to wear" an NHS badge because his "militant" politics are destroying the health service, an A&E consultant has claimed.

Rob Galloway said he was "blood boiling angry" after reading a letter sent by Mr Hunt thanking health workers for keeping patients safe during the junior doctors' strike last week.

In the letter, Mr Hunt said: "I would like to pay tribute to the NHS staff that have once again pulled out all the stops to keep services running effectively during industrial action."

He thanked the "dedicated" healthcare professionals who have "planned for weeks, worked long hours and pulled together to ensure services remained safe this week" and said they were a "credit to our world-class NHS".

In a Facebook post, Dr Galloway, who works at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, questioned how the Secretary of State could write such a "nauseating" note.

He said: "It's an embarrassing and pathetic letter made worse by the fact there is a picture of you on it wearing an NHS badge.

"Any picture of you creates in me a Pavlovian response of upset. But this picture with an NHS badge on, has made my blood boil."

Dr Galloway demanded that Mr Hunt take the badge off his suit because he was at the helm of a "sinking" ship.

"You are not fit to wear it. You do not deserve to wear it. You demean and insult all of us who work and care about the NHS by wearing it.

"An NHS badge should be worn by someone who loves the NHS not someone who is at the helm whilst the NHS boat is sinking because of his leadership."

The junior doctors dispute has developed over government plans to impose a new contract later this year.

The major sticking point has been over weekend pay and whether Saturdays should attract extra unsocial hours payments.

Currently, 7pm to 7am Monday to Friday and the whole of Saturday and Sunday attract a premium rate of pay for junior doctors.

The Government has said the Saturday day shift must be paid at a normal rate.

Dr Galloway said the contract was sexist, unfair and unsafe and if Mr Hunt won, others in the NHS will have a similar contract brought in and staff would leave.

He also pointed out Mr Hunt had previously written a book calling for the NHS to be privatised.

Dr Galloway wrote: "Before it is too late and our NHS falls apart, please stop your madness.

“Now is time for conciliation and not escalation. Now is time to be reasonable and not a militant. Now is time to put our patients before your political ideology.”