Image source, PA Media

It's 07:00 GMT, which means the three-day strike by junior doctors has officially begun in England.

The industrial action is due to last until the same time on Thursday morning.

Stay with us for the latest updates and analysis as these doctors - who make up more than 40% of the NHS' medical workforce - join picket lines across the country.

Katharine Da Costa
Health reporter

Junior doctors got an 8% pay rise, as part of a four-year deal, which comes to an end this month.

The doctors' union - the BMA - is now calling for a rise of around 35%, which it says will make up for the fact wages haven't kept up with inflation over the last 15 years.

But pay talks with the government haven't even started yet.

There were last minute efforts, by the government, over the weekend to try and avoid these strikes, but the BMA refused to call off the action because it said there wasn't a credible offer on the table.

This bitter row with the BMA comes at a time when the NHS is under a lot of pressure, from A&E for instance. Health leaders are concerned that recovery in the NHS is fragile - and extra pressure from industrial action could set back any progress made.

They're calling for a rapid resolution to this dispute. But, right now, it looks like there's little hope of the BMA and government coming together to find a way through this.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

NHS bosses have warned that the progress being made on tackling the hospital waiting backlog could be put at risk by the strikes.

NHS England’s medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis has said there had been huge achievements over the winter.However, he said that the 72-hour walkout in England, starting today would have an impact.

This comes as the NHS staff survey reflects a falling number happy to recommend the care at their service.

The poll found that 63% would be happy to see a friend or relative treated - down by five percentage points in the past year and 11 over two years.

Hundreds of thousands of workers - including teachers, nurses, civil servants and rail workers - have been taking part in strikes in recent months.

The disputes are mostly over pay, with unions calling for wage rises to keep up with rising prices.

The next nurses' strike in England was due to take place at the start of March, but the Royal College of Nursing called it off to allow for talks with the government over pay and working conditions.

About 70,000 members of the University and College Union (UCU) are striking at 150 universities across the UK on 18 days in February and March.

Teachers in England and Wales will strike on 15 and 16 March. There will also be regional strikes on other days.

Around 133,000 civil servants will strike on 15 March, the day the chancellor unveils the Spring Budget.

You can read more on the upcoming strikes and the reasons why workers are taking industrial action here.

Gem O'Reilly
BBC News

The British Medical Association is calling for a 35% pay rise for junior doctors.

The union is describing the demand as “pay restoration”.

It says junior doctors have experienced a 26% real-terms pay cut since 2008, because of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.

Working conditions have also come up as a key issue, the BMA adds, saying conditions are “spiralling” downwards.

The BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs Vivek Trivedi and Robert Laurenson said that by approving strike action, doctors had “taken a giant step forward in restoring value to our profession”.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

Junior doctor leaders at the British Medical Association have met with ministers and government officials in recent weeks. But they have not been formal pay talks.

Ministers have made it clear they are not willing to meet the pay demands of junior doctors.

Instead, the government is concentrating on reaching a deal with the 14 health unions representing NHS staff other than doctors after they suspended their strike action.

Talks were held last week with unions representing everyone from nurses and midwives to ambulance staff and physios.

They have involved discussions about effectively offering staff a bonus for this year on top of their 4.75% pay rise and a more generous increase from April for the 2023-24 year.

The government has suggested 3.5% but unions have made it clear they want more.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage as thousands of junior doctors in England are set begin a three-day strike over pay and working conditions.

At 07:00 British Medical Association members will begin a 72-hour walkout - the biggest by doctors in the history of the NHS.

The term junior doctors covers everyone who has just graduated from medical school through to those with years of experience on the front line. Overall, they account for more than 40% of the medical workforce.

They are asking for a 35% pay rise, which the BMA says makes "perfect sense". The union has said doctor roles in the NHS have seen a pay cut by 26% since 2008, once inflation is considered.

However, Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said the union's demands are "completely unaffordable".

Our health correspondent says that the argument being put forward by the BMA is more complicated than the ones from most other unions involved in other recent strikes.