Junior doctors in England will strike for five consecutive days in July, in what is thought to be the longest single period of industrial action in the history of the health service.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said the five-day walkout would take place between 7am on Thursday 13 July and 7am on Tuesday 18 July.

Thousands of hospital appointments and pre-planned operations are set to be disrupted as more senior doctors fill in and emergency and critical care is prioritised.

Junior doctors also went on strike for three days earlier this month. It followed a four-day walkout in April and a three-day one in March.

Their pay has decreased by more than a quarter in real terms since 2008 – and many are burnt out from an increasing workload, according to the BMA.

It said doctors had no option but to strike as the government refuses to address their concerns and had only made a 5% pay offer.

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