Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, has announced plans to ban doctors' strikes if her party regains power, proposing legislation to impose restrictions similar to those on police officers and soldiers.

The Conservative Party aims to reintroduce minimum service level requirements across the health service, which were previously implemented by the last government but revoked by Labour.

The proposed legislation would impose the same restrictions on doctors' industrial actions as those currently existing for police officers and soldiers.

This announcement follows a five-day strike by thousands of resident doctors, who protested against declining pay, which the British Medical Association (BMA) claims has fallen by 20% since 2008 due to inflation.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticized the BMA, asserting that the union would not be permitted to 'hold the country to ransom' after doctors received a 28.9% pay increase over the last three years, the highest in the public sector.

Badenoch criticized the BMA for becoming 'militant' and emphasized the need for action to protect patients and the NHS, stating that while doctors do vital work, medicine should be viewed as a vocation that balances support for healthcare professionals with taxpayer protection.

A Labour source condemned the Conservative government for its handling of the NHS, accusing them of neglecting patient safety during strikes and failing to manage the situation effectively.

Patients have been advised to attend their appointments unless informed otherwise, and NHS England aims to reschedule any cancellations caused by the strikes within two weeks.

During the strike, other NHS staff, including consultants, will continue to provide care to ensure service availability and safety.

The BMA has arrangements for emergency responses, allowing hospitals under pressure to request that some striking doctors return to work, with several hospitals already granted such requests.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated that the BMA would not be allowed to 'hold the country to ransom,' despite a 28.9% pay increase over the past three years, which is the highest in the public sector.

Dr. Tom Dolphin, chairman of the BMA council, expressed that silencing doctors will not resolve the crisis in the NHS and called for listening to their concerns instead.