UK doctors begin five-day strike — longest in NHS history

Junior doctors under the British Medical Association (BMA) have embarked on a five-day strike over their demand for increased salaries.

This is the fourth time the doctors would be staging a walking out in 2023.

They had previously gone on strike from June 14 to June 17, for 96 hours in April and 72 hours in March.

The current industrial action, if not called off before July 18, would be the longest in the history of the national health service (NHS).

The union is demanding a 35 percent pay rise after suffering a “pay erosion” of 26 percent over the last 15 years, as wages have failed to keep up with inflation.

In a statement on Thursday, Robert Laurenson and Vivek Trivedi, co-chairs of the junior doctors committee, said the strike can be called off today if the UK government can produce an incredible offer.

“Today marks the start of the longest single walkout by doctors in the NHS’s history – but this is still not a record that needs to go into the history books,” the statement reads.

“The pay offer on the table to junior doctors in Scotland and how it was reached, throws into sharp relief the obstinate approach being taken by the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay.

“The Health Secretary has said there can be no talks while strikes are planned – Scotland has proved him wrong. He said above 5% wasn’t realistic — Scotland proved him wrong.

“He refused to even acknowledge the concept of pay restoration – Scotland proved this is not only possible but essential.

“We have to get back to talks. The government’s refusal to talk with junior doctors in England who have strikes planned, is out of keeping with all norms of industrial action.”

Speaking to BBC on Thursday, Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said patients would feel the impact of the industrial action.