Junior doctors call five-day strike before election

Junior doctors in England are to stage a five-day strike in the lead up to the election in their long-running pay dispute with the government.

Members of the British Medical Association will walkout from 07:00 BST on 27 June.

The union has asked for a 35% pay rise to make up for what it says is 15 years of below inflation pay rises.

Junior doctors received a pay rise averaging nearly 9% in the last financial year.

This will be the 11th walkout by junior doctors after their first strike in March 2023.

It will see junior doctors walk out of all services, with senior doctors having to be drafted across to provide cover.

That will cause huge disruption to elective services, such as routine operations, days before the general election.

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