The first day of strike action was in January 2016 and involved junior doctors only providing emergency care. Hunt said it was "unnecessary", patients could be put at risk and many junior doctors had "ignored" the strike call and worked anyway. The BMA responded saying many junior doctors were in work maintaining emergency care as planned. A second day of strike action occurred in February 2016 where doctors again provided only emergency care. Following the first two strikes, Hunt announced he would be unilaterally imposing the new contract without agreement or further negotiation, with NHS trusts instructed to introduce it in August. This followed government chief negotiator David Dalton reporting junior doctors contract negotiations had ceased after his final offer to the BMA had been declined. In response, the BMA announced three 48-hour long strikes and issued a legal challenge over the contract.