ENGLAND — Resident doctors in England walked out on Tuesday in their 15th strike action in a long-running pay dispute with the government. The six-day walkout began after talks between the British Medical Association and the government broke down last month.

Resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, make up nearly half of the medical workforce in England. Hospitals across the country drafted senior doctors to provide cover in emergency and urgent care during the strike. Some pre-planned operations and treatments were canceled, though the majority of scheduled procedures were still taking place on the first day of the action.

"There's a long way to go, but it looks like we're in as good a place as we could hope on day one," said Sir Jim Mackey, Chief Executive of NHS England. "I know how disruptive and challenging it's been for many hospitals to manage it and fill their rotas following the Easter weekend," he added.

The BMA called the strike regrettable and blamed the government for failing to put forward a credible offer. The union argues that doctors are receiving 20% less pay than they did in 2008 once inflation is taken into account. Over the past four years, resident doctors have received pay rises totalling 33%, but the BMA contends that those increases have not kept pace with the cost of living.

Dr. Jack Fletcher, the BMA's resident doctor leader, said the strike action was regrettable and that he was sorry for the disruption caused. "These strikes were entirely avoidable. If we keep treating doctors as an inconvenience rather than an asset, we will end up with an NHS that simply doesn't have enough doctors," Fletcher said.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said that resident doctors had been offered a generous deal. "People and patients are understandably fed up," he said. The government said it would expand training places and cover out-of-pocket expenses such as exam fees alongside the pay rises.

One third of resident doctors are not members of the BMA. A majority of the public oppose the doctor walkouts, according to polling data. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she would ban doctors from going on strike in the same way strikes are prohibited for the police and armed forces.