British doctors' strikes risk patient safety, minister says

Britain's health minister warned patients' safety is at risk as junior doctors began four days of strikes on Tuesday that are likely to cause unprecedented disruption.

Tens of thousands of junior doctors planned to walk out demanding pay rises better aligned with inflation, meaning many operations and other non-emergency appointments would be canceled across the state-funded National Health Service (NHS).

The British Medical Association (BMA), the union representing doctors, wants a 35 percent rise, arguing that members have suffered a 26 percent real terms cut in pay over 15 years. Tuesday's walkout followed a three-day doctors' strike last month.

"Not only will the walkouts risk patient safety, but they have also been timed to maximize disruption after the Easter break," British Health Secretary Steve Barclay said in a statement.

Junior doctors, about 75,000 qualified physicians some of whom are very experienced, make up a sizeable chunk of Britain's workforce of medics. They say the strikes could be stopped if Barclay put a credible offer forward.

While Barclay said on Saturday that the demands are "unrealistic."

The strike is the latest to involve NHS staff, following walkouts by nurses, paramedics and others demanding rises that better reflect annual inflation running at more than 10 percent.

The NHS Confederation, which represents organizations across the healthcare sector, said the action would leave many aspects of patient care "on a knife edge."

"This next round of strikes will see unparalleled levels of disruption, and we are very concerned about the potential severity of impact on patients and services across the country," NHS National Medical Director Stephen Powis noted.

(Reuters)