Health leaders expressed alarm, warning the five-day strike would jeopardise efforts to tackle the record waiting list and "hit patients hard".
The British Medical Association said junior doctors would walk out from 7am on 27 June until 7am on 2 July. Voters go to the polls on 4 July.
The development will pile pressure on the prime minister, who has been accused of holding up a deal over pay, to end the row. If it remains unresolved, he faces the prospect of mass disruption across the NHS days before millions choose the next government.
Answering question at a campaign event in Devon, Sunak questioned the timing of the strike and said it may have been staged to help Labour.
This story is from the May 30, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the May 30, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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