Anger has erupted after it emerged that a group of doctors travelled to Italy while NHS strikes were ongoing in England. The trip, which took place during the latest wave of walkouts by resident doctors, has been criticised as insensitive and damaging to public trust.
The doctors involved are understood to have attended a conference in Rome, but the timing has drawn sharp rebuke from patients and politicians alike. The NHS is currently grappling with record waiting lists and the strikes have caused widespread disruption to services.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has faced mounting pressure to resolve the dispute, which began in March 2023. Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, have staged nearly 50 days of stoppages over pay and working conditions. The British Medical Association (BMA) is seeking a 26% pay rise to restore salaries to 2008 levels.
A new complication has emerged as many early-career doctors are unable to secure training places in their chosen specialties, adding a jobs dimension to the pay dispute. The BMA says this bottleneck is forcing some doctors to consider leaving the profession.
The government has so far offered a pay increase of just under 29% over three years, which the BMA says falls short of what is needed. The strikes are expected to continue unless a breakthrough is reached in negotiations.
