British physician strike back on, again

British junior physicians plan to resume strikes again next Wednesday, Feb. 10, after putting action on pause to negotiate with the government, according to the British Medical Association, the country's physicians' union.

However, this 24-hour strike, which was originally planned to be a full walk out, will be similar to one that took place Jan. 12, the BMA said in a statement. Physicians will still provide emergency care through the strike time.

The 40,000 medical residents, who represent about half of the National Health Service's physician workforce, have taken issue with the recently proposed employment contract. The BMA says the contract neither protects against dangerously long shifts nor properly compensates physicians for working unsocial hours, or overtime, on weekends.

This strike marks the third of three planned strikes this year, though the second was halted in an attempt to come to an agreement with NHS.

BMA junior physician committee chair Johann Malawana, MD, said in a BMA announcement of the strike, "The Government's entrenched position in refusing to recognize Saturday working as unsocial hours, together with its continued threat to impose a contract so fiercely resisted by junior doctors across England, leaves us with no alternative but to continue with industrial action."

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