Thousands of doctors have walked off the job in Britain, the start of a six-day strike that's set to be the longest in the history of the state-funded National Health Service. Managers say tens of thousands scheduled appointments and operations will be canceled during the walkout across England and Wales by junior doctors, those in the first years of their careers. The doctors, who form the backbone of hospital and clinic care, plan to stay off the job until 7 a.m. on Tuesday. Senior doctors and other medics have had to be drafted in to cover for emergency services, critical care and maternity services. Britain has endured a year of rolling strikes across the health sector as staff sought pay rises to offset the soaring cost of living.
