Radical plans to recruit thousands of foreign doctors are being drawn up by ministers in a bid to break NHS strikes.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay has ordered officials to investigate the potential for hiring huge numbers of temporary doctors in the coming months to limit the damage caused by walkouts.

Mr Barclay is planning to ask the General Medical Council to fast-track the process for registering doctors to work in the UK, with the aim that they could begin work early in the new year.

He has dubbed the plan the 'Ronald Reagan project', in reference to the former US President's controversial 1981 decision to hire thousands of air traffic controllers to end a debilitating strike.

A Whitehall source said: 'Reagan brought in thousands of air traffic controllers to end the strike and it worked. Of course, Reagan also sacked the strikers – no-one is talking about doing that – but Steve is attracted to the idea of looking to see if foreign doctors could help limit the impact of the strike.

'There are two ways they could help. Firstly, they could improve levels of cover on strike days and provide a better service to patients. We are now regularly reduced to Christmas Day cover, which does not even include vital services like chemotherapy – that is just unacceptable.

'Secondly, they could limit the ability of striking doctors to make up lost earnings through overtime. At the moment we have a crazy situation where some doctors are making more money on strike because of the very generous overtime payments they can receive.

'Obviously it would be expensive to hire large numbers of foreign doctors, but the strikes are also expensive and they are letting down patients.'

Mr Barclay is understood to be drawing up a formal proposal, but it would have to be signed off by both Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. Most of the doctors are expected to come from India.

The move reflects mounting concern at the impact of the long-running strikes by junior doctors and consultants.

It is likely to enrage the British Medical Association, which is demanding 'pay restoration' of 35 per cent for junior doctors.

Nurses settled for a five per cent pay rise this year. Most doctors have been handed a pay rise of at least six per cent, with junior doctors getting an average of around 8.8 per cent. But despite this, the BMA has warned it is ready to carry on striking for months. 

BMA chairman Philip Banfield warned this week that doctors were prepared to continue their industrial action up to the General Election 'and beyond'.

Ministers believe the strike is 'politically motivated' and that the BMA leadership is not interested in a resolution with the current government.

Noting that the BMA had timed its latest strike to coincide with the Conservative Party conference, Rishi Sunak this week said the dispute was 'all about politics, not patients'. 

The Prime Minister described doctors' pay demands as 'massive and unaffordable'.

Mr Barclay has privately warned the PM that his pledge to cut NHS waiting lists will be broken unless the strike is ended or mitigated.

Health officials insist they are making progress on cutting the longest waits, but concede that the total waiting list is likely to rise from its record level of 7.6million.

One insider said: 'We are making progress on the plan to cut the longest waits, but in the end it is not going to be possible to cut the overall total if the doctors keep going on strike.'

Ministers have ruled out a fresh pay offer to doctors because of concerns about cost and fears that it would trigger higher demands from other public sector workers.

Mr Barclay has signalled he is willing to meet the BMA to discuss 'non-pay' issues, such as workload.

But ministers are pessimistic about the prospect of a breakthrough, not least because the BMA gave the government no credit for meeting its demand for a massive pensions tax break earlier this year.