Government has pushed us to strike, says junior doctor on picket line

The government has pushed junior doctors to go on strike, a medic has said as staff launched a fresh round of action on Wednesday, 20 December.

Doctors in training from the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association in England began 72 hours of action at 7am in what the BMA described as the longest strike in NHS history.

The strike is taking place over pay and working conditions.

Speaking from a picket line, BMA junior doctors committee co-chair Dr Sumi Manirajan said: “No junior doctor wants to take strike action... The government have pushed us.”