THOUSANDS of junior doctors began a 72-hour strike across England today as the government fails to meet workers on their demands.
Doctors gathered at picket lines outside their hospitals as rallies were held throughout the country, including in Oxford, Birmingham, London and Manchester.
The action by members of the British Medical Association, which will run until 7am on Saturday, is the third by the medics in the country this year.
The BMA is calling for a full restoration of pay for junior doctors, which it says has seen a 26 per cent cut since 2008.
The government has offered just 5 per cent to end the dispute.