NBC News — Doctors across the U.K. are boycotting non-urgent care thursday. They took action over plans to raise the retirement age and changes to the National Health Service pension scheme. It's the first industrial action by U.K. doctors in nearly 40 years.

The British Medical Association is leading it and says patient safety is the absolute priority. Doctors will show up for work but will refuse to perform non-urgent procedures and paperwork. Polls suggest there's little support for the action.