The longest strike of unrest in the UK may result in postponing up to a quarter of a million appointments.

Junior doctors in England have begun a four-day strike over pay, leading to up to 250,000 postponed appointments.

The strike, the longest in the recent wave of unrest that has seen other health workers take action since last year, is being carried out by tens of thousands of junior doctors who are demanding pay rises better aligned with inflation.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has asked for a 35% rise to offset a 26% cut in pay over 15 years. The NHS is concerned that the level of disruption caused by the strike will be unprecedented, leading to more cancellations of operations and procedures than in the previous walkout.