Resident doctors strike costs £3bn

The staggering cost includes the expense of hiring agency staff to cover shifts and the loss of revenue from cancelled procedures.

Streeting warned that the union's demands are unsustainable and could lead to further wage claims across the public sector.

The BMA maintains that the strikes are necessary to achieve 'pay restoration' after a decade of declining wages.

As the longest strike in NHS history gets underway, patients are being warned of significant delays and urged to only use emergency services when absolutely necessary.