GMB: Kate Garraway breaks news about junior doctor strikes
Kate Garraway delivered some breaking news during the latest instalment of Good Morning Britain. The presenter, 57, fronted the ITV programme alongside Rob Rinder on Thursday (June 27).
The news reader halted the show to reveal that junior doctors in England have begun a five-day strike. The strike by British Medical Association (BMA) members started at 7am and is due to end at the same time on July 2.
Following the news, NHS England said services would be under significant pressure and urged the public to use them responsibly.
It's the eleventh walk out since March 2023, with the British Medical Association calling for a 35% pay rise to be phased in over the next few years.
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The government responded, calling the demands unreasonable. After gathering the latest information from GMB correspondent Nitya Rajan, Kate said: "And that is our breaking news story."
The final day of the walkout is just two days before the General Election takes place. The BMA said it stands ready to talk and the union has reportedly already had some discussions with the Labour Party.
Junior doctors said that Wes Streeting, Labour’s shadow health secretary, has promised talks on July 5 if the party wins the election.
Mr Streeting has warned that he will not be able to meet the 35% demands, explaining that if he did, "any trade union worth their salt” would make the same requests.
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However, the politician has said there is "space for a discussion" on pay and there will also be negotiations on how to improve working conditions for medics in training.
NHS leaders have warned that the strikes could cause "major disruption", with the walkout set to affect "almost all routine care".
In a statement shared on Wednesday (June 26), NHS England said: "The NHS will face major disruption this week as junior doctors launch five days of industrial action, with services already under increasing pressure."
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, added: "Holding strikes in the middle of an election campaign when no political party is in a position to bring the dispute to a close is a bitter pill to swallow for staff who have to plug the gaps and patients who will have their appointments cancelled or delayed."
