In England, trainee doctors have started the longest strike in the history of the British NHS (National Health Service). The strike is expected to last six days. The doctors want to achieve better wages.
The healthcare system is facing a stress test. “It is the longest strike we have ever faced,” the head of the Association of NHS Funding Organisations, Julian Hartley, told the BBC on Wednesday. A large part of the operations had to be postponed. In addition, there is always a lot to do after Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The strike would last from Wednesday until next Tuesday morning.
The chronically underfunded and understaffed NHS has been repeatedly rocked by waves of strikes for months. The government promised an average salary increase of 8.8 percent last year, the PA news agency reported.
The doctors rejected this as not enough. Junior doctors make up a significant proportion of the medical workforce in England. This concerns doctors in training; they may have just graduated or have been working for the NHS for years.
(hah/sda/dpa)
source: watson
I’m Maxine Reitz, a journalist and news writer at 24 Instant News. I specialize in health-related topics and have written hundreds of articles on the subject. My work has been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Healthline. As an experienced professional in the industry, I have consistently demonstrated an ability to develop compelling stories that engage readers.
