Junior doctors in the UK go on strike for four days
Thousands of young British doctors are starting a four-day strike on Tuesday to demand better wages amid the cost of living crisis, an action that puts pressure on an already stretched health service, reports Agerpres.ro.
"This is the most disruptive mobilization in the history of the NHS and the strikes will cause enormous pressure," said Stephen Powis, chief medical officer of NHS England.
According to the NHS Confederation, up to 350,000 consultations could be postponed. Young doctors also went on strike for three days last month, affecting 175,000 appointments.
In the UK, trainees make up around half of all hospital doctors, from young doctors fresh out of college to practitioners with more than eight years' experience.
The four-day strike, which starts on Tuesday morning and runs until Saturday morning, comes after the long Easter weekend, with many employees already on holiday.
The BMA trade union which represents trainees says these doctors have lost 26% of their pay in real terms since 2008 when austerity was imposed on the health service.
The union is demanding a 35% pay rise, which Health Minister Steve Barclay has called "unrealistic".
The NHS is going through a deep crisis, weakened by austerity policies and the consequences of the pandemic. Since the beginning of the year, there has been an increase in industrial action, both among nurses, doctors and ambulance staff.
