Junior doctors in UK to begin longest strike after gov't talks fail

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Dec 2023 12:52

Picket lines from Wednesday till Saturday will be joined by junior doctors, below the consultant level, as six more days of action are planned from January 3.

A protestor holding a sign during an NHS doctors walk-out in 2023. (AFP)

The UK is about to witness the longest strike by hospital doctors, prompting health managers to fear pressure on services at the busiest time of year.

Picket lines from Wednesday till Saturday will be joined by junior doctors, below the consultant level, as six more days of action are planned from January 3, which comes during the holidays and thus the busiest time for the state-funded National Health Service (NHS).

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and hospital leaders have already found the time to criticize what they see as their "worst fears realized".

In response, Sunak said on Tuesday, "We would encourage junior doctors to consider carefully the extremely significant impact striking at such a challenging time will have both on the NHS and for individual patients and to return to talks".

Insufficient funds and promises

Earlier this month, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced the decision for the strike after talks with the government fell through, stating that junior doctors have been offered a 3% raise on top of the 8.8% increase given earlier this year.

However, the offer was rejected as a result of the cash due being split unevenly across different doctor grades and would "still amount to pay cuts for many doctors".

Junior doctors in Wales will also walk out for 72 hours from January 15 while those in Northern Ireland are being balloted for potential strike action but Scottish counterparts have already struck a deal with the government.

According to NHS England's national medical director, Stephen Powis, the strike will lead to a "huge disruption" and "put the NHS on the back foot".

The last time junior doctors in the UK walked out was back in August of this year.

The development comes as millions of patients in England are added to waiting lists to begin receiving medical care in hospitals as a result of a significant backlog caused by the epidemic and ongoing strikes by healthcare workers who are demanding more pay amid the UK's cost-of-living crisis.