Thousands of so-called junior doctors in England began a five-day strike on Friday, demanding salary increases and more training places, reports LETA citing AFP.
The British Medical Association (BMA) states that salaries need to be increased by another 26% to restore the real income levels of doctors to those of 20 years ago.
Meanwhile, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting has stated that there will be no further salary increases, reminding that they have already risen by 28.9% over the past three years.
Additionally, the BMA is demanding an increase in the number of available training places. Doctors explain that in some cases, more than 30,000 people are competing for 10,000 places for additional training to qualify as a senior doctor.
According to the association, this means that many doctors, even after years of residency, cannot secure a permanent position.
Since March 2023, junior doctors in England, who make up nearly half of the National Health Service (NHS) workforce, have repeatedly gone on strike. At the beginning of last year, a six-day strike took place, becoming the longest in NHS history.
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