LONDON (AP) — Thousands of doctors in England are staging their 11th walkout on Thursday in a long-running dispute with the government over pay and working conditions, disrupting hospital services just days before the U.K. general election.
The five-day strike by junior doctors — those in the early years of their careers — shines a spotlight on the troubles besetting the chronically underfunded National Health Service, Britain’s state-run public health system, a topic that is a top concern for voters going to the polls on July 4.
Junior doctors, who make up about half of the total medical workforce and form the backbone of hospital and clinic care, have been locked in the pay dispute with the government since late 2022. They went on strike for six days in January — the longest in NHS history — and hospitals had to cancel tens of thousands of appointments and operations.
The latest strike began Thursday and ends on Tuesday, just two days before voters cast their ballots for a new House of Commons.
The British Medical Association, the doctors' union, says their pay has dropped by a quarter over the last 15 years and has called for a 35% pay raise. The union says newly qualified doctors earn about 15 pounds ($19) an hour — the U.K. minimum wage is just over 10 pounds an hour — though salaries rise rapidly after the first year.
Dr. Sumi Manirajan, deputy chair of the junior doctors committee in the union, said years of underinvestment has resulted in young doctors leaving in droves to countries such as Australia that offer better pay, with those left behind seriously overworked and underpaid.
“Doctors that I trained with in London, some of the best in the country, have left to go to New Zealand. And actually what it makes me think of is why am I not doing the same? I want to be valued for the work that I do,” she said.
Manirajan, who recently graduated and works in obstetrics and gynecology, said she sees many women waiting for more than a year for routine procedures.
“These patients are in pain, and it hurts us to see these patients come in again and again with the same problem that we know we could treat if we had enough doctors,” she said.
Dr. Shivam Sharma, who was among colleagues chanting on the picket line outside St. Thomas' Hospital in central London on Thursday, said the state of Britain's health service is “terrifying.”
“We used to have real standards in this country. Patients need to be seen at A&E (hospital emergency rooms) within four hours, and now you're lucky to be seen within 12,” he said. “Last winter we had 500 avoidable deaths a week. That's like a Boeing jet of patients going down. It's completely unacceptable.”
The Conservative government says it gave the doctors pay raises of between 8.1% and 10.3% last year and that it was a generous settlement. It maintained that authorities can't make a pay offer during the preelection period but the union refused to call off the strikes.
Manirajan said it was unfortunate that the government chose to call an election while knowing that the dispute was unresolved.
The doctors' union said it was ready to talk, and it has already had some discussions with the opposition Labour Party, which has a considerable lead in polls. Labour leader Keir Starmer told reporters Thursday that he would open discussions with junior doctors on “day one” if he is elected.
“It is difficult to comprehend how either the Conservative Party or the Labour Party can deliver on their manifesto commitment to recover NHS performance over the next Parliament without first ending the dispute,” said Siva Anandaciva, chief analyst at The King’s Fund think tank.
Associated Press video journalist Tian Macleod Ji contributed to this report.
A junior doctor stands on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital, London, during their continuing dispute over pay, Thursday June 27, 2024. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)
Junior doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital, London, during their continuing dispute over pay, Thursday June 27, 2024. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)
ATLANTA (AP) — Adam Duvall's single in the 10th inning drove in Luke Williams from second base and the Atlanta Braves overcame a strong start by Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes to beat the Pirates 2-1 on Saturday.
Duvall lined the single off Kyle Nicholas (0-2) to the wall in center field, bringing home Williams, who started the inning on second. Braves players charged out of the dugout to celebrate.
Edward Olivares was tagged out at the plate when trying to score from third base on a wild pitch by Daysbel Hernández (2-0) in the top of the 10th. Olivares was initially ruled safe but the Braves challenged and a review showed Hernández caught the throw from Travis d’Arnaud and tagged Olivares before he reached the plate.
Skenes allowed one run on six hits in six innings and was typically dominant after giving up Jarred Kelenic's homer to open the game. Skenes struck out the side in the sixth, giving him nine for the game.
Bryan Reynolds extended his hitting streak to 25 games when he tripled off the right-field wall with two outs in the ninth. It is the longest streak in the majors this season and the Pirates' longest since Kenny Lofton's 26-game streak in 2003.
Raisel Iglesias ended the ninth on Olivares' grounder to the mound.
Kelenic pulled a fastball from Skenes into the second row of the right-field seats. It was Kelenic's ninth homer of the season and his fifth in 14 games since moving to the leadoff spot.
Michael A. Taylor singled off Max Fried to lead off the fifth and moved to third on two walks. With one out, Taylor scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Olivares for a 1-1 tie.
With two outs in the sixth and Ke'Bryan Hayes on second base following a single and stolen base, Duvall made a running catch at the wall in right field of Taylor's drive to end the inning.
The Pirates had runners on second and third with two outs in the eighth when Kelenic made a running catch of Yasmani Grandal’s drive at the wall in center field.
Fried allowed one run in six innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Oneil Cruz, hitting .167 for the last two weeks and .236 for the season, did not start with the left-handed Fried on the mound. Cruz has hit only .114 against left-handers. Jared Triolo made the fill-in start. Cruz struck out as a pinch hitter against right-hander Pierce Johnson in the seventh, with strike three called on a batter's infraction.
Braves: RHP Ian Anderson will start for Class-A Augusta on Sunday as he continues his comeback from Tommy John surgery. ... OF Ramón Laureano may be held out until Tuesday as he recovers from lower back soreness. He did not start for the third straight game.
UP NEXT
Braves RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (1-3, 5.40) will make his first start against Pittsburgh when the rookie faces LHP Bailey Falter (3-6, 4.00) in Sunday's game, scheduled for an unusual 11:35 a.m. first pitch for Roku TV. Falter's last win came against Atlanta on May 24.
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Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried (54) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales (39) kneels injured against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried (54) delivers to Pittsburgh Pirates' Edward Olivares (38) in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried (54) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) works from the mound against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Connor Joe (2) looks for a fould ball against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried (54) works in the third inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) walks in the dugout in the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves' Ozzie Albies (1) slides back to first base against Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Connor Joe (2) in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried (54) wipes sweat in the third inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) walks in the dugout in the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
An official checks the glove and hands of Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) in the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen (22) sits in the dugout in the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal (6) speaks with pitcher Paul Skenes (30) in the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried (54) deleivers against Pittsburgh Pirates' Bryan Reynolds (10) in the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) works from the mound against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
