A LAST ditch bid to avert strike action by junior doctors tonight hangs in the balance following a dramatic eleventh hour deal.

The Government has put forward a "potential deal" to the British Medical Association (BMA) which could put off tomorrow's industrial action by thousands of junior doctors including hundreds from Hampshire.

But the BMA has yet to decide the deal being tabled to them before completely calling off the strikes.

And many operations being cancelled ahead of the strikes will still not take place due to the late arrival of a potential peace deal.

It comes just days after the Daily Echo revealed that operations across the county would be cancelled because of strikes this week.

Hospital chiefs in Southampton and Winchester had already held emergency meetings to ensure patients would still receive necessary care after the first strikes were announced for tomorrow.

The University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the General and the Princess Anne, had written to patients to confirm the cancellation of some outpatient clinics and non-urgent theatre operations, in a move it said would allow the redistribution of clinical staff in other areas.

The Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester also conceded that scheduled procedures and appointments could face cancellation.

Meanwhile details of a mass rally in Southampton have also been released by striking staff who are expected to number up to 500.

They included a picket outside the hospital from 8am till 11am and a rally at the Guildhall Square from 11.30am-1.30pm.

Staff on strike have also organised for the Anthony Nolan Trust to be among the crowd at the rally to try and recruit more bone marrow donors.

Cathy Paget, who works at Southampton General Hospital's accident and emergency department, said: "The idea is to ensure a better outcome for our patients even when on strike, it’s hard for doctors to be totally rebellious and we want some good to come out of the protest via a better safer fairer contract and for more bone marrow donors to be available.”

Doctors across the UK are also poised to take action on three days, providing emergency care only for 24 hours from 8am tomorrow followed by walkouts from 8am on December 8 and 16.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt had previously refused to agree to discussions unless BMA officials came to the negotiating table first, but changed his mind last week when he told BMA chairman Dr Mark Porter “any talks are better than strikes”.

A third day of negotiations between the DoH, NHS and the BMA, hosted by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service was also held at the weekend without resolution.

Jeremy Hunt told MPs in the Commons there had been a "time-limited" agreement made this afternoon for further talks, where the BMA would suspend strike action if the Government agrees not to impose a new contract on doctors.

He said this was now sitting with members of the BMA's junior doctors' committee to see whether they could support it.

But he said strikes across England planned for tomorrow at 8am are still due to go ahead.

He said: "I'm pleased to report to the House after working through the weekend, discussions led to a potential agreement early this afternoon between the BMA leadership and the Government.

"This agreement would allow a time-limited period during which negotiations can take place and during which the BMA agrees to suspend strike action and the Government agrees not to proceed unilaterally with implementing a new contract.

"This agreement is now sitting with the BMA junior doctors executive committee who will decide later today if they're able to support it."

A statement releases from University Hospital Southampton said: "Any patients who will be affected if strike action goes ahead will be contacted via telephone and letter beforehand.

"The letter will state that their appointment has been cancelled and will be rescheduled but, if strike action does not go ahead, they should attend their appointment as planned."