Doctors begin five-day walkout in England

"NHS bosses are aiming to keep nearly all services running as resident doctors begin a five-day walkout in England. The strike the 13th by British Medical Association members in the long-running pay dispute began at 07:00 GMT and lasts until 07:00 Wednesday. Resident doctors the new name for junior doctors will walk out of both emergency and non-urgent care. Hospitals will come under the most strain, with resident doctors making up about half the medical workforce."

"Ms Houlihan, from Cambridgeshire, who is waiting for a benign tumour in her neck to be removed, said she had had to put up with two cancellations already, but could understand those as she was told patients who were higher priorities needed to be seen. "They could have had cancer. I didn't mind that, but this is different. "I am furious. By striking they ignore the Hippocratic Oath - first and foremost do no harm."

Resident doctors in England begin a five-day walkout, the 13th strike by British Medical Association members in the ongoing pay dispute. The walkout removes resident doctors from emergency and non-urgent care; resident doctors comprise about half the medical workforce. NHS England aims to keep around 95% of non-urgent work by redeploying and offering overtime to consultants and other senior doctors and relying on non-striking resident doctors, but estimates the five-day action costs £240m to cover. Patients face postponed appointments and operations, with some individuals experiencing multiple cancellations and expressing anger at delayed care.

Read at www.bbc.com