Thousands of young doctors in the United Kingdom will launch a four-day strike on Tuesday to demand better pay in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, piling pressure on the country's health system.

"It is the mobilization that will have the biggest impact in the history of the NHS and the most stressful," said Stephen Boyce, health director for NHS England.

"Priority will be given to urgent and dangerous cases, but the appointments of some patients will be postponed," he added.

And the NHS Confederation reported that 350,000 medical appointments could be postponed. The young doctors went on strike for three days last month, affecting 175,000 appointments.

In the UK, junior doctors represent about half of the doctors in hospitals, from young doctors who have just graduated to doctors with eight years of experience.

The strike, which begins on Tuesday morning and ends on Saturday morning, comes after the Easter break, with many workers on holiday.

"This strike will have a catastrophic impact on the ability of the NHS" to operate at full capacity, NHS union director Matthew Tyler told Sky News on Monday.

He added, "It is not useful to hide that it will create risks for patients," calling on the British to be careful. "Try to avoid risky behavior because the NHS will not be able to provide the necessary care."

The BMA, which represents trainee doctors, confirmed that these doctors have lost 26 percent of their actual wages since 2008.
The union is calling for a 35% increase in wages, which Health Minister Steve Barclay described as "unrealistic".

The NHS system is going through a major crisis after it was weakened by austerity policies and the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic. Strikes have been frequent since the beginning of the year among nurses, doctors and paramedics.