A doctor at the Cumberland Infirmary has said the NHS is ‘in crisis’ as junior doctors begin three days of strike action.

FY 2, Dr Helen Leg, said that the current system ‘wasn’t sustainable’ and that more strikes were possible if the government don’t improve their pay offer.

Hundreds of junior doctors who are members of the British Medical Association (BMA) across North and West Cumbria are taking strike action are walking out from Wednesday, June 14 until Saturday, June 17 in a dispute over pay.

The BMA has previously called for a 35 per cent pay rise for junior doctors which they say would make up for ‘15 years of below-inflation wage rises’ which has caused a ‘recruitment and retention crisis’ in the NHS.

The government has offered a pay rise of 5 per cent which has been rejected by the BMA.

NHS leaders in Cumbria have warned of stretched services and have asked the public to only call 999 for an ambulance or attend A&E for life-threatening conditions or injuries only during the strike action.

“Nobody comes to work to want to not help people,” said Dr Leg.

“We want to help people in the best way that we can but, with so many people leaving the service and so many people facing burnouts, it's just not sustainable at the moment – the NHS is in crisis.”

The health secretary has said it is ‘extremely disappointing’ that junior doctors are taking industrial action and said that the walkout will put ‘patient safety’ and ‘efforts to cut waiting lists at risk.’

READ MORE: Labour Whitehaven and Workington MP selection branded a 'mess'

He urged the BMA to call off the strike action and continue negotiations over a pay deal, but Dr Leg said that the current offer of 5 per cent was still a real terms pay cut

“Inflation is still above eight per cent and the pay offer is not inflation plus five per cent, it's just 5 per cent which is still a pay cut.

“We've had our pay eroded by over a quarter, over the last decade or so five per cent isn't even keeping up with current inflation, let alone back pay.”

The union said that they are willing to talk the health secretary, Steve Barclay about the pay issues but if no further progress is made, they will “strike throughout the summer” for three days at a time.