Sequential ACK/NACK encoding

A method, system and apparatus for the transmission and reception of feedback acknowledgement messages for a HARQ packet stream with resilience against transmission errors. A plurality of HARQ processes each using a different transmission epoch 200 transmit a first packet 205-208. At least two feedback signals 220/221 sent in different subframes are jointly channel coded depending on the acknowledgement message and at least one further acknowledgement message. A convolutional code combines successive acknowledgment messages which are then further coded with a block code to produce the feedback signals. To allow for the decoding delay 230 at least one additional HARQ process is created to transmit a packet 209 prior to transmission of the second packet beginning. If packet transmission is temporarily suspended or terminated a control channel signals the receive side 150 to send a feedback signal in an epoch that does not correspond to an acknowledgement epoch of a transmitted packet.