Tens of thousands of doctors kick off three-day strike across England
Tens of thousands of junior doctors went on strike across England on Monday to demand better pay, kicking off three days of widespread disruption at the UK's state-funded hospitals and health clinics.
Junior doctors make up 45 per cent of all NHS doctors. Senior doctors and other medics have had to be drafted in to cover for emergency services, critical care and maternity services.
The British Medical Association, the doctors' trade union, says pay for junior doctors has fallen 26 per cent in real terms since 2008, while workload and patient waiting lists are at record highs.
The union says burnout and the UK's cost-of-living crisis are driving doctors away from the public health service.
The union said newly qualified medics earn just 14.09 pounds (USD 17) an hour.
Other health workers, including nurses and paramedics, have also staged strikes in recent months to demand better pay and conditions. NHS figures show that more than 100,000 appointments have already been postponed thi