Healthcare workers stage new round of strikes in UK

Healthcare workers started a 5-day-long strike action on Monday in England due to the ongoing dispute over pay, staffing levels, and lump-sum payments.

Members of the Unite union will strike at hospitals across England from Dec. 18-22, expected to affect many appointments.

Ahead of the strike, Barts Health Hospital said in a statement that they will continue to provide urgent and emergency care and maternity care to people who need it.

"However, those in less urgent need of care may experience longer waiting times than normal," it added.

Separately, junior doctors from the British Medical Association (BMA) are set to hold strike action that will start at 7 a.m. on Wednesday until 7 a.m. Saturday.

The BMA has said that with strikes they aim to achieve full pay restoration to reverse the steep decline in pay faced by junior doctors since 2008.