People hold placards as they stand on a picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital on July 25, 2025 in London, England.Resident doctors started their five-day strike on Friday – and it’s clear from the government’s reaction that their sympathies for the medics are running thin.The British Medical Association (BMA) is calling for a full restoration of pay for resident doctors, formally known as junior doctors.They argue that their pay is still down by a fifth compared to 2008, despite a 5.4% average pay rise this year and a 22% bump over the previous two years.This is the 12th time senior doctors have had to step in to cover for the resident doctors and keep essential services operating amid this long-running dispute.But BMA resident doctor co-leaders, Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, said: “Resident doctors are not worth less than they were 17 years ago.“Restoring pay remains the simplest and most effective route toward improving our working lives.”Taking aim at the health secretary, the