UK doctors go on 72-hour strike

Tens of thousands of young doctors went on strike in England, RTÉ reports on March 13.

The strike began on the morning of March 13 and is scheduled to last 72 hours. Thousands of surgeries and diagnostic procedures have been canceled as a result of the strike.

The British Medical Association (BMA) is calling for a substantial pay increase for doctors. The association claims that the salary of young doctors has fallen by 26% since 2008/09 and demands that the government compensate this decrease.

The UK Health Minister invited the BMA to talks on 12 March, which the Association refused, pointing out that the government had been silent for too long and declaring the pre-conditions put forward unacceptable. According to the channel, these conditions relate to the issue of paying a lump sum for the past year.

Associate Physicians do most of the work of performing procedures on patients and make up 45% of the UK NHS workforce. According to experts, the strike will be the largest medical strike in recent times in terms of its consequences.

Source: Rossa Primavera