Up to 47,600 junior physicians from the British Medical Association (BMA) went on strike on Wednesday in response to a demand for higher pay.
The strike, which began at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, will terminate on June 17 at 7 a.m.
According to the organization, young doctors have experienced a 26 percent “pay erosion” over the previous 15 years as their earnings have failed to keep up with inflation.
To correct this, they are asking for a 35% salary increase.
For the same reason, junior doctors went on strike for 96 hours in April and 72 hours in March.
However, following weeks of negotiations, the BMA said that the government only offered a 5% salary increase. They called the offer “paltry” and “unbelievable.”
If the government does not enhance its offer, the union has threatened to strike for at least three days every month during the summer.
Phil Banfield, BMA council chair, said in a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday that it is extremely disappointing that doctors have been forced to strike in order to get the government to listen and understand the realities of how desperate things have become on the frontlines of the National Health Service (NHS).
“You told the public that the NHS is safe in your hands and your chancellor, as chair of the health and social care select committee, called for action to better value staff to help address the workforce crisis and protect patient safety,” the letter reads.
“Yet, doctors are increasingly demoralized by growing waiting lists and the falling value of their pay.”
“I urge you to listen to our doctors and to meet with me and our junior doctors as soon as possible to find a way forward and for your government to recognize the impact of pay erosion and accept that this must be addressed.”
Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director, said almost all routine or pre-planned care could be impacted in some way, adding that thousands of routine procedures have already been rescheduled.
“The strike will have an enormous impact on routine care for patients and the waiting list, as procedures can take time to rearrange with multiple teams involved.
“Emergency, urgent, and critical care will be prioritized during the strike,” he added.
