Thousands of doctors go on strike in England a week before the UK general election

Thousands of doctors in England are staging their 11th walkout in a long-running dispute with the government over pay and working conditions. The five-day strike by junior doctors in the early years of their careers comes just a week before the U.K. general election and shines a spotlight on the troubles besetting the National Health Service. Waiting lists for patients are at record highs. Polls show that the woeful state of public health is a top concern for voters. Junior doctors have been locked in the pay dispute with the government since late 2022. The latest strike begins Thursday and ends on Tuesday. That's just two days before voters go to the polls to choose a new House of Commons.