England’s National Health Service operates on holiday, level staffing as doctors’ strike escalates

Junior doctors in England have gone on strike for the sixth time since December 2015, joining their more senior colleagues in their first-ever joint strike action. The doctors are protesting against the government’s proposed changes to their contracts, which they argue will lead to unsafe working hours and unfair pay. The strikes have resulted in the cancellation of over 1 million appointments and procedures, costing the National Health Service over £1 billion. The British Medical Association is demanding a 35% pay increase to return to 2008 levels after inflation is taken into account, while the government is offering an average increase of 8.8%.