Resident doctors in England to strike for 16th time over pay

Resident doctors in England are to stage a fresh round of strikes in June.

The walkout from 07:00 BST on Monday 15 June until 06:59 Friday 19 June will be the 16th in the long-running dispute over pay.

The announcement came after a meeting on Wednesday between the British Medical Association (BMA) and new Health Secretary James Murray, who replaced Wes Streeting earlier this month.

It is understood Murray made it clear he was not willing to negotiate on pay, saying the union's demands for more money were "unrealistic and unaffordable ".

Resident doctors have received pay rises worth 33% over the past four years, including a 3.5% increase this year.

It means starting salaries are now just over £40,000, with the most senior resident doctors getting £76,500 in basic pay.

However, they can earn thousands more each year for things like working at unsociable times and doing additional hours.

But the BMA argues they are still being paid a fifth less than they were in 2008 once inflation is taken into account.