Experts warn medical bills could increase due to inflation
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest report says consumer goods jumped 8.5%. That's the largest inflation increase in the past 40 years.
LEARN MORETens of thousands of UK doctors launch 3-day strike over pay dispute
The British Medical Association said new doctors earn around $17 an hour and pay has fallen 26% since 2008, taking inflation into account.
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
March 13, 2023
Tens of thousands of junior doctors across England walked off the job Monday as part of a three-day strike over pay.
Junior doctors — which are certified but early in their careers —make up 45% of the National Health Service force. The walkout will disrupt patient care across the country, with many appointments and procedures canceled as a result.
The British Medical Association said new doctors earn around $17 an hour and pay has fallen 26% since 2008, taking inflation into account.
"We are not worth 26% less: our work is not 26% easier. If anything, it’s getting harder," Dr. Hannah Baytree said in a statement posted by the BMA. "The government’s response is not unexpected: this government has been undermining and underfunding the NHS for a long time now, and devaluing public sector workers, not just doctors and nurses but other profession as well."
Other health care workers, including nurses, paramedics and dentists are also joining the strike.
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the strike "disappointing" and said the union is "not engaging with the government."
However, the BMA said representatives had met recently with health secretary Steve Barclay, who told them he had "no mandate" to negotiate pay.
In a survey conducted by the BMA last year, 60% of doctors said their morale was low or very low.
The union said around 50,000 junior doctors were expected to walk out this week.
The strike is just the latest in a wave of walkouts, as workers demand higher wages to keep pace with double-digit inflation consumers are facing.
Britain's inflation hit a 41-year high last October, with prices spiking over 11% compared to a year earlier, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Teachers, airport workers, border staff, bus drivers and postal workers have also walked off their jobs in recent months, all demanding better pay.
9:14
Why Americans are denied social security, disability support
There's a range of criteria for Americans to get social security and disability benefits, but some are denied because of an outdated index of jobs.
9:14
What living with long COVID is really like
Scripps News talked to a dozen people with long-term COVID symptoms about their current experience and their hope for the future.
US demands chemical plant immediately reduce cancer-causing emissions
Department of Justice officials filed a motion to order a company to immediately reduce harmful emissions of chloroprene, a likely carcinogen.
Top Stories
3:46
How are U.S. jobs reports compiled?
The data is based off estimates and not full official counts of the entire labor force, which is now over 160 million strong in the U.S.
5:26
How you can clean the air to protect yourself from COVID
People can remove harmful aerosol particles, like the virus that causes COVID, from the air on their own terms.
3:24
Lawmakers react after Nashville school shooting
After a shooter killed 6 at a Nashville school, some lawmakers promoted current gun safety legislation, with others urging an assault weapons ban.
