LONDON: Tens of thousands of junior doctors in England have voted for strike action next month, their trade union said on Monday , adding to a series of walkouts by nurses and ambulance workers putting pressure on an already strained health system.
Junior doctors agreed in 2019 to an annual 2 per cent pay rise as part of a four-year deal but say that is now inadequate in light of much higher inflation. The BMA describes junior doctors as those who are qualified in clinical training and have up to eight years' experience working as a hospital doctor or up to three years in general practice. They work under the supervision of a senior doctor."I've met with the BMA and other medical unions to discuss what is fair and affordable, as well as wider concerns around conditions and workload.
Another trade union for doctors, the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, said its junior doctor members had also voted to carry out strike action in a separate ballot. That strike, on Mar 15, involves less than a thousand staff.