🔗 Share this article Junior Physicians in England to Begin Five-Day Strike Next Month Medical professionals in England are set to stage a five consecutive day strike next month, due to disputes regarding jobs and pay. Strike Details The British Medical Association (BMA) stated that resident doctors will strike for five days in a row from 7am on 14 November to 7am on 19 November. Resident doctors, who make up about half of all medical staff in the National Health Service, are taking this action after failed negotiations with the government. Causes of the Walkout The chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee stated, “This is not where we wanted to be. We have been negotiating for the past week with officials, urging the health secretary to end the crisis of unemployed physicians.” “We know from our own survey half of second-year doctors in England are facing unemployment, their skills going to waste whilst millions of patients endure long waits for care and hospital shifts remain vacant. This is a situation which cannot go on.” He added, “We negotiated sincerely, keen for the health secretary to understand that a deal including options to gradually reverse the cuts to pay over a number of years, providing newly trained doctors a raise of just a pound an hour for the coming four years.” “We trusted the government would see that our asks are not just fair but are in the interest of the public and our patients and would also help prevent our doctors leaving the NHS.” About Resident Doctors Resident doctors have as much as eight years of experience working as a hospital doctor, depending on their specialty, or up to three years in general practice. More details are expected soon.