ROUTINE hospital care is set to come to a standstill across England today as consultants launch another massive 48-hour pay strike.

The walkout, which combined with the bank holiday weekend could see most services unavailable for five days, comes after the British Medical Association (BMA) announced a further three-day strike later this year.

Senior doctors, who first downed tools last month, are set to follow up an already announced two-day walkout between September 19 and 20 with a strike on October 2, 3 and 4, it warned.