UK sees unprecedented public health doctors strike | World

Junior doctors began a four-day strike in the UK on Tuesday over pay, which is expected to cause unprecedented disruption to the state-funded National Health Service (NHS), prompting the government to warn of risks to patient safety.

Tens of thousands of doctors in training – who make up Nearly half of the medical workforce — they Strike to increase wages in line with inflationThis is a strike that comes after a three-day strike last month.

“This latest round of strikes will see unprecedented levels of disruption and we are extremely concerned about the potential serious impact on patients and services across the country,” said Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England.

“We have also asked (hospitals) to reschedule procedures and outpatient clinics as soon as possible, but this It will take weeks to recover.“The NHS is working to ensure that emergency services are kept intact,” Powis told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The head of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations in the healthcare sector, told Sky News he expected up to 350,000 appointments to be cancelled during the four-day strike.

This is the latest strike by NHS staff, After strikes by nurses, paramedics and other groups. All increases in demand reflect an annual inflation rate of more than 10%. in the UK.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already said that reducing hospital waiting times is one of his government's priorities amid eroding public satisfaction with an institution that was a source of national pride.

The British Medical Association (BMA), the union that represents doctors, wants a 35% pay rise, arguing that members have suffered a real pay cut of 26% over 15 years.