HEALTH SECRETARY Wes Streeting ranted on live radio today as thousands of resident doctors began their five-day strike in England.

He unleashed a tirade on LBC after north London doctor Niraj told him that “we all care about patient safety, none of us wants to be on strike, I would rather be at work today.”

The British Medical Association (BMA) called the 13th strike by doctors since March 2023, having long called for their pay to be restored to pre-austerity rates.

Despite rises by Labour, it remains about a fifth down on its real-terms value in 2008.

Mr Streeting clashed angrily after Niraj raised his union’s concerns over a lack of training places and other workforce issues.

He accused doctors of “inflicting pain and misery” on patients and holding them to ransom by its “extremely irresponsible” action.

The Health Secretary claimed the “extremely unnecessary” strikes were shocking given patients receive “a substandard service” and that the BMA was speaking for its “activists” rather than their members.

But Samantha Wathen, of Keep our NHS Public, said: “In a historically underfunded and understaffed system, resident doctors are asking for enough training places for them to apply for, and £22.50 per hour — not the moon on a stick.

“Scenes we are seeing from Streeting are reminiscent of the way [former health secretary Jeremy] Hunt battled with the BMA — but resident doctors and their union are not the enemy.

“These are a group of people who only a few short years ago literally risked their lives to protect us all. Government cannot and should not be trying to fund a service by suppressing the wages of the very people keeping it afloat.”

Labour MP Apsana Begum said: “Resident doctors have felt no choice but to go on strike from today.

“A just settlement is vital for our NHS and striking is the last resort.”

BMA council chairman Dr Tom Dolphin said that the union and government had reached an “impasse” after Mr Streeting “appeared to be showing willing to move towards something that we thought might be more appropriate.”

“We’ve got pay that is still a fifth down on the value that it had in 2008 — pay packets are still missing a fifth of their value,” he said.