Resident Doctors To Strike For Five Days This July
Resident doctors in England will stage a five-day strike from July 25th to 30th after overwhelmingly voting in favour of fresh industrial action over pay. The British Medical Association (BMA) said over 26,000 doctors backed the strike, with union leaders blaming the government for refusing to negotiate a deal that includes “pay restoration.” The planned walkout is the first since last year and marks a major escalation in the long-running dispute.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the decision was “unnecessary and unreasonable,” warning it would damage patient care and hamper efforts to cut NHS waiting times. Streeting pointed to the 28.9% pay rise awarded over the past three years and insisted the government “can’t afford” to offer more. Downing Street echoed the stance, stating it would not reopen pay talks despite the BMA’s calls for a “credible path” toward restoring salaries to pre-2008 levels.
BMA leaders Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said they had “made every attempt to avoid strike action” during talks with Streeting this week. But with the government unwilling to discuss pay, they said doctors had no option left. “Doctors don't take industrial action lightly,” the BMA said. “All we need is a credible pay offer, and nobody need strike.”
