Junior doctors to hold longest strike yet in July

Junior doctors in England have announced a new five-day walkout in July - the longest yet - over pay.

The strike will take place between 07:00 on Thursday 13 July and 07:00 on Tuesday 18 July.

The British Medical Association (BMA) union, which represents doctors, said a government offer of a 5% rise was not "credible" and that pay has not kept up with inflation.

The government says the pay offer is "fair and reasonable".

The BMA has been asking for a 35% increase to make up for 15 years of below-inflation rises.

This will be the fourth strike by junior doctors since the pay dispute began.

Co-chairs of the BMA junior doctors committee Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said: "We are announcing the longest single walkout by doctors in the NHS's history - but this is not a record that needs to go into the history books.

"Even now the government can avert our action by coming to the table with a credible offer on pay restoration."

Junior doctors make up around half of all hospital doctors in England and a quarter of all doctors working in GP surgeries. The BMA represents over 46,000 junior doctors in the UK.

In Scotland, junior doctors have been offered a new 14.5% pay rise over a two-year period after negotiations with the Scottish government.

BMA Scotland said it would now consult its members, who voted in favour of strike action earlier this month, on the offer.

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