UK's new health secretary to hold talks with junior doctors after latest strike

6/7/2024 7:26

        Britain's newly appointed health secretary, Wes Streeting, will hold talks next week with junior doctors to end an industrial strike action, he said in a
        statement on Friday.
        
        The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents around 50,000 junior doctors, said in May that they would strike for five days immediately before Britain's July 4 national election as part of a long-running dispute over pay.
        
        "I have just spoken over the phone with the BMA junior doctors committee, and I can announce that talks to end their industrial action will begin next week," Streeting said.
        
        The BMA junior doctors said in a post on X they "were pleased to speak to new health secretary today to get the ball rolling on negotiating a solution to our dispute," and confirmed they agreed to meet next week.
        
        Junior doctors in Britain's state-funded National Health Service (NHS) are qualified physicians, often with several years of experience, who work under the guidance of senior doctors and make up a large share of the medical community.