Doctor strikes ‘deliberately timed to cause havoc’, says NHS chief

Resident doctor strikes have been “deliberately timed to cause havoc”, the head of the NHS has said, as medics in training across England from the British Medical Association (BMA) begin the second day of a walkout in a row over pay and jobs.Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, said that many hospitals had found it “challenging” to fill rotas following the Easter weekend.Health officials have previously highlighted that the strike will be particularly disruptive because of the action taking place during the Easter break, when many NHS staff will have booked time off with their families.