Nearly 50,000 junior doctors across England are taking part in a four-day strike in what is believed to be “the most disruptive industrial action in NHS history” - and we asked Mirror readers what they thought of the news.
An estimated 350,000 appointments, including operations, have been cancelled, with NHS bosses warning that patient care is on “a knife-edge” and “very fragile” because of the mass walk out. This comes as the British Medical Association (BMA) continues to campaign for pay restoration, with the union stating junior doctors in England have seen a 26 per cent real-terms pay cut since 2008/09 because pay rises have been below inflation, with some being paid as little as just £14 an hour.
The union is demanding a full pay restoration that the government said would amount to a 35 percent pay rise - which ministers have claimed is unaffordable. Health Secretary Steve Barclay described the timing of the strikes as "regrettable", and said that his "door is open" for talks - but described the 35 percent pay rise as "not reasonable".
