Resident doctors in England began a six-day strike at 07:00 BST on 7 April, the 15th round of industrial action since March 2023.
The BMA says members are seeking pay restoration of around 26%, while ministers offered a package including an average 4.9% pay rise and plans for up to 4,500 extra specialist training posts (including 1,000 brought forward) — an offer the union rejected.
NHS officials warned the walkout could cost about £300m this week and contribute to more than £3bn of costs since 2023, and senior clinicians have been drafted in as some appointments and treatments are cancelled.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticised the BMA and warned the strikes risk patient care and the NHS recovery, while health leaders urged patients to seek urgent help as normal and to attend planned appointments unless told otherwise.

In England and Wales, the government will cap interest rates on Plan 2 and Plan 3 student loans at 6% from 1 September for the 2026-27 academic year.
Ministers said the temporary measure is intended to shield millions of graduates from a potential spike in inflation linked to the Middle East conflict and to limit loan interest that is set as RPI plus up to 3%.
Campaigners and analysts welcomed the move but described it as a short-term stopgap that does not address wider concerns such as frozen repayment thresholds and the broader structure of Plan 2; MPs have opened an inquiry into student loans.
The Welsh government has agreed in principle to apply the same cap to Welsh borrowers, subject to Senedd approval.

The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon has docked in the eastern Mediterranean for a routine logistics stop and short maintenance after a minor fault with its onboard water systems.
The Type 45 ship was deployed to reinforce security around British air bases in Cyprus and left Portsmouth on 10 March following the government's decision to send the vessel.
The Ministry of Defence said the stop was planned to take on provisions, optimise systems and conduct repairs, that crew have access to water and catering, and that HMS Dragon will remain at a very high level of readiness and able to sail at short notice.

The UK government withdrew Kanye West's (Ye) electronic travel authorisation, denying him entry on grounds his presence would "not be conducive to the public good".
Festival Republic said Wireless in London’s Finsbury Park — where Ye was to headline three nights in July for around 150,000 attendees — has been cancelled and refunds will be issued to ticket-holders.
The move followed months of controversy over Ye's antisemitic remarks, the withdrawal of major sponsors (including Pepsi and Diageo) and calls from politicians and Jewish groups for him to be banned; Ye said he had offered to meet UK Jewish community representatives to "listen".
Organisers said an ETA had initially been granted online before ministers intervened; campaign groups and senior politicians welcomed the ban while organisers and some industry figures defended the booking and acknowledged mistakes.

In the UK, Reform UK has pledged to stop issuing visas to nationals of any country that formally demands reparations from Britain for the transatlantic slave trade.
Home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf described reparations demands as "insulting" and said more than 3.8 million visas were issued to people from such countries over the past two decades; the party has also previously promised to scrap international aid to nations pressing for reparations.
Commonwealth politicians and other critics warned the proposal could harm diplomatic and trade ties and isolate Britain, after a UN general assembly resolution spearheaded by Ghana last month described the transatlantic slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity" and called for reparations.