Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has claimed this week's 48-hour strike by junior doctors represents an "unacceptable" risk to patients.
Mr Hunt also appealed to the British Medical Association (BMA) to call off the strike in England, which will cause the withdrawal of the majority of NHS services, and meet him.
On Saturday, a cross-party group of MPs urged Mr Hunt to trial the contested new work contract in a small number of trusts rather than impose it widely without the support of the BMA.
But Mr Hunt has insisted the contract was already being rolled out slowly.
He tweeted: "Labour 'plan' is opportunism - only 11% of junior docs go onto new contracts in August."
In a letter to BMA chairman Mark Porter, he said: "The extreme action planned will be deeply worrying for patients and place enormous additional strain on our NHS at a time of intense pressure.
"I therefore appeal to you one final time to call off strike action that will see doctors withdraw potentially life-saving care, and to meet with me on Monday to discuss a better way forward."
Labour's Heidi Alexander, Conservative Dr Dan Poulter, Lib Dem Norman Lamb and the SNP's Dr Philippa Whitford said in a separate letter to Mr Hunt they wanted an independent evaluation of the so-called "weekend effect" which sees higher mortality rates for patients admitted at weekends.
The MPs wrote: "You will be aware that medical leaders, royal colleges and patient groups have said the imposition or unilateral introduction of the contract is the wrong approach and risks permanent damage to the future of the medical workforce.
"If it remains your intention to introduce this new contract, we believe it should be piloted in a number of trusts/across a number of deaneries and for its impact on patients, staff and the 'weekend effect' to be independently evaluated."
Shadow health secretary Ms Alexander told Sky's Dermot Murnaghan: "I feel very strongly that this whole dispute has gone on for too long.
"It’s really distressing for everyone in the NHS and it's time for Jeremy Hunt to put party politics to one side."
The all-out strike is set to start on Tuesday at 8am and the NHS has already cancelled 125,000 operations and appointments in preparation.
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