Junior doctors across England have initiated their tenth strike as part of an ongoing disagreement with the government regarding pay.
The five-day strike began at 07:00 GMT, with NHS administrators cautioning of significant disruptions in hospital operations and appointments, given that half of the doctors in hospitals are junior doctors.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has advocated for a 35% pay increase, a demand that government ministers have labeled as unreasonable.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins expressed disappointment with the continuation of strike action by junior doctors, emphasizing the adverse impact it has on the NHS and urging the BMA to reconsider their decision.
In response, BMA junior doctor leaders Dr. Robert Laurenson and Dr. Vivek Trivedi asserted that the strikes could have been avoided if the government had made a credible pay offer to address the longstanding pay cuts inflicted on junior doctors over the past decade.
The strike is expected to disrupt routine hospital services, with senior doctors being redirected to cover emergency care. NHS England advises patients to call 999 in life-threatening emergencies and use 111 for other medical inquiries, while urging those with routine appointments to attend unless notified otherwise.
Matthew Taylor, CEO of the NHS Confederation, described the strike as a profoundly demoralizing moment for the health service and called for both sides to engage in constructive dialogue to find a resolution.
Support for junior doctors remains substantial, although polling suggests a slight decrease from previous years. Patients affected by the strike express a range of sentiments, with some sympathizing with junior doctors' grievances while others voice frustration over disrupted medical care.
The standoff between junior doctors and the government underscores deep divisions regarding pay and working conditions within the NHS. Formal negotiations have stalled, leading the BMA to seek a fresh strike mandate from its members, while similar disputes unfold in Wales and Northern Ireland. Photo by ReelNews, Wikimedia commons