Being a doctor was once considered a prestigious and noble profession with only the brightest amongst society capable of doing such an important job.

Yet the treatment of junior doctors by successive governments is antithetical to that sentiment.

Junior doctors, who not only do a crucial job on the frontline but also represent the future of our healthcare system, are contemplating abandoning the profession in droves with morale rock bottom due to the Government’s refusal to make a credible pay offer.

The fact that 53 per cent of those who took part in the survey by the British Medical Association (BMA) reported making plans for leaving or thinking about leaving the NHS as a result of the Government’s response to industrial action should be a concern to Ministers.

Striking NHS junior doctors on the picket line earlier this year. PIC: PA

The NHS has its flaws but it is those that keep the healthcare system running that make it what it is. That is why they need to be treated with respect.

The Government needs to show that junior doctors are valued. These public servants don’t want to withdraw their labour but feel they have been left with no choice.

If we’re not careful as a country then other nations will start taking these bright lights away from Britain to enhance their own healthcare systems.

Every penny paid to junior doctors is a downpayment on the future of the NHS. If the Government refuses to reward them sufficiently then it imperils the NHS. People could be forgiven then of coming to the conclusion that the Government does not believe in our healthcare system.

The Cost of Living crisis cannot be used as an excuse to shield the Government from criticism. Junior doctors in England have seen their pay cut in real terms by more than a quarter over the last 15 years.

If the Government believes in the NHS then it would settle the junior doctors pay dispute - The Yorkshire Post says