Junior doctors' strike: JK Rowling backs strike action 'as wife of a doctor'

Junior doctors walked out at 8am in 24-hour strike

JK Rowling has history of challenging her trolls (Getty Images )

JK Rowling has become the latest high-profile voice to back the junior doctors striking over working conditions and pay.

Junior doctors in England walked out at 8am on Wednesday as part of a 24-hour strike over a Government contract row. One of the major disputes is over whether Saturday should be considered a normal working day and paid accordingly.

The Harry Potter author lent her support to those standing at 160 picket lines across the country on Twitter and told her 6.7 million followers she was speaking from the position of a doctor’s wife.

A poll of more than 1,000 medics found nearly 90 per cent of junior doctors would consider resigning if the new contract is imposed upon them.

The first strike in January led to thousands of operations, procedures and appointments being cancelled across the NHS, according to the Press Association.

Almost 3,000 operations have been cancelled as a result of Wednesday’s action. The Shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander condemned the action as “deeply disappointing”.