Resident Doctors Five-Day Strike To Go Ahead As Pay Talks Collapse
A five-day strike by resident doctors across England will begin this Friday after talks between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government fell apart. Despite five days of negotiations, the union said the proposals on the table, which were focused on working conditions rather than salary, weren’t enough. "This is at its core a pay dispute," said BMA co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, who stressed that doctors' real-terms pay has fallen by more than 20% since 2008. The BMA is calling for a 29% pay rise to restore that loss.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting hit back at the BMA, accusing the union of “recklessly and needlessly” pressing ahead with the strike, calling it “completely unjustified” and unprecedented in British trade union history. While the government offered reforms like exam fee coverage and improved career pathways, the BMA held firm on pay. Streeting insisted the BMA “would have lost nothing” by delaying the strike to keep talking, adding, “All of my attention will now be on averting harm to patients.”
With over 50,000 doctors expected to walk out from 25–30 July, hospitals are bracing for disruption. NHS England's current strategy, which is to cancel fewer procedures than in past strikes, is raising concerns. The BMA warns this could stretch senior doctors too thin, putting patient safety at risk. “Senior doctors cannot physically be in two places at once,” said BMA deputy leader Dr Emma Runswick. Meanwhile, NHS leaders are urging striking doctors to help minimise the damage by coordinating with hospitals.
