By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) - Junior doctors across England began the longest strike in the history of the National Health Service (NHS) on Thursday in pursuit of a 35% pay rise.

Thousands of appointments will be rescheduled as more senior doctors step in to provide emergency care during the five-day strike by junior doctors. However, these senior doctors will also go on strike for two days next week.

More than 600,000 NHS appointments in England have already been canceled or postponed due to strikes by doctors, nurses, and other health care workers in recent months.

Some 86% of British Medical Association (BMA) members backed the latest walkouts, which are the fourth strike by junior doctors in England since the pay dispute began at the end of last year.

“Striking takes a toll physically, mentally and financially. We also know that burnout is a pervasive issue in our profession.

“Our survey in April found that more than 40% of junior doctors were experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, or burnout that had been worsened by the pandemic and 60% said their current levels of fatigue or exhaustion were higher than normal,” a BMA statement read.

Junior doctors, who range from recent graduates to experienced physicians with more than 10 years of experience, have described the government's refusal to negotiate ahead of the strike as "baffling" and "frustrating."

Health Secretary Steve Barclay responded by saying the strike's duration "collapsed" the talks. He called doctors' demand for a 35% pay raise "unreasonable," and said the strike would jeopardize patient safety.

Junior doctors make up around half of all hospital doctors in England, as well as a quarter of all doctors working as general practitioners in surgeries. The BMA represents more than 46,000 junior doctors in the UK.