All of this points to the NHS being broken and a deeper malaise in our healthcare system that needs urgent attention. It is also evidence of years of underfunding.

The British Medical Association (BMA) says successive governments have overseen 15 years of real terms pay cuts for junior doctors in England, which amounts to a 26.1 per cent decline in pay since 2008/09.

At a time when the healthcare system is in need of the best talent, this is simply counterintuitive to attracting and retaining doctors.

The BMA has told the Government that if a ballot for industrial action is successful, junior doctors will begin their action with a 72-hour "full walkout" in March. PIC: PA

The BMA is now planning on balloting junior doctors from Monday over whether to stage a 72-hour “full walkout” in March.

There is a worrying pattern emerging as to the way the Government has dealt with industrial disputes across the board.

The BMA has become the latest to accuse the Government of ignoring invitations to meet with doctors to discuss their pay, making attempts to find a negotiated settlement “virtually impossible”, according to the union. Nurses and ambulance workers have also outlined a similar pattern of non-engagement from the Government.

Instead of dealing with the causes of these industrial disputes, the Government is trying to push through anti-strike legislation.

The NHS has long been a crown jewel of modern Britain. It is an institution that many take for granted until it is required. The fact that it delivers the best possible care to people regardless of who they are, should be protected and cherished. And those who work in the NHS should be treated with respect. Without them, there is no healthcare system.

Junior doctors strike threat points to lack of engagement by the Government - The Yorkshire Post says