🔗 Share this article Junior Physicians in England to Launch Five-Day Walkout Next Month Medical professionals in the UK are set to begin a five-day strike next month, in protest over jobs and pay. Strike Details The BMA announced that junior physicians will walk out for five days in a row from November 14 at 7am to November 19 at 7am. Junior physicians, who make up nearly 50% of all doctors in the NHS, are proceeding with the strike after failed negotiations with the government. Causes of the Walkout Dr Jack Fletcher stated, “This is not where we wanted to be. We have spent the last week in talks with government, urging the health minister to end the crisis of doctors going unemployed.” “We know from our own survey 50% of second-year physicians in the UK are facing unemployment, their talents being unused whilst millions of patients wait endlessly for treatment and hospital shifts go unfilled. This is a situation which cannot go on.” He added, “We talked with the government in good faith, keen for the health secretary to see that a deal including options to slowly restore the pay reductions over several years, giving newly trained doctors a raise of only £1 per hour for the coming four years.” “We trusted the authorities would see that our asks are not just reasonable but are in the interest of the public and our patients and would also help stop our doctors departing from the NHS.” Who Are Resident Physicians? Junior physicians have anywhere up to eight years’ experience practicing in hospitals, depending on their specialty, or up to three years in general practice. Further information are expected shortly.