Junior doctors in England to stage four-day strike in August

Junior doctors in England are to stage a four-day strike from Friday 11 August to Tuesday 15 August, the British Medical Association has announced.

It is the latest round of strikes by junior doctors and consultants that has led to the cancellation of tens of thousands of NHS appointments.

Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, the co-chairs of the BMA junior doctors committee, said: “It should never have got to the point where we needed to announce a fifth round of strike action. Our message today remains the same: act like a responsible government, come to the table to negotiate with us in good faith, and with a credible offer these strikes need not go ahead at all.”

They continued: “The prime minister has told us that talks are over. But it is not for Rishi Sunak to decide that negotiations are over before he has even stepped in the room.

“This dispute will end only at the negotiating table. If the PM was hoping to demoralise and divide our profession with his actions, he will be disappointed.

“Consultants, along with our specialist and associate specialist colleagues, have covered crucial services during our strikes and those same consultants were also on their own picket lines last week.”

More details soon …