10 things to know about the UK physicians' strike

Nearly 3,000 operations have been cancelled as junior physicians in England take part in a second 24-hour strike over pay and conditions, according to a BBC report.

Here are 10 things to know:

1. The first strike occurred on Jan. 12, 2016 due to the British Medical Association's junior physician's committee withdrawing from talks with the government over proposals for new contracts, which involve pay cuts of up to 30 percent and the slashing of premium rates for physicians working between 7:00 am and 10:00 pm every day apart from Sunday.

2. Check-ups, appointments and tests are set to be disrupted as a result of the walkout, which began at 8:00 am GMT today on Feb. 10, 2016.

3. The key sticking point appears to be payments for working on Saturdays. In the proposals, Jeremy Hunt, health secretary, said basic pay would rise by 11 percent, with three quarters of juniors seeing a rise in pay, and almost all others having their pay "protected" until 2019.

Currently, UK trainee physicians have a starting salary £22,636 rising with experience to reach £30,000 within four years. Physicians in specialist training receive a salary between £30,002 and £47,175, while those who make the grade can earn up to £69,325. Junior physicians can earn on average £40,000 in the initial stages of training, and £56,000 in the later stages.

4. There is mounting speculation ministers may soon seek to impose a new contract, potentially creating further tension.

5. Talks have started taking place within the government after NHS bosses told ministers that if they wanted to see a new contract introduced, they would have to make their move this month to ensure it was in place by the summer.

6. These talks raise the possibility of a series of rolling strikes as the dispute threatens to escalate even further.

7. Here are the latest developments:

  • The BMA wants the whole day to attract an unsociable hours premium, but ministers say the hours between 7:00 am to 10:00 pm should be paid at the basic rate.
  • The BMA proposed accepting half of the 11 percent basic pay rise the government is offering in return for retaining extra payments for working Saturdays, but the move was rejected.
  • The government says change is needed to ensure a genuinely seven-day NHS, meaning perpetual access to healthcare.
  • A new poll by Ipsos MORI shows two-thirds of the public support junior physicians, which is the same as it was ahead of the first strike.

8. There are more than 50,000 junior physicians in England, including those who are fresh out of medical school through to others who have a decade of experience behind them.

9. Talks between the physicians and the government, hosted by conciliation service Acas, broke down at the end of January and despite some informal discussions behind the scenes, there is thought to be little prospect of them restarting.

10. Despite the strike, the junior physicians are still covering emergency care.

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