Resident doctors in England will go ahead with a five-day strike starting Wednesday after overwhelmingly rejecting the government's latest offer. The British Medical Association (BMA) announced that 83% of voting members opposed the deal, with a 65% turnout among the 55,000 doctors represented.
The strike, the 14th since March 2023, begins at 7am on Wednesday and ends at 7am the following Monday. Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned the action as “self-indulgent, irresponsible and dangerous,” warning it would strain an NHS already facing an early winter crisis due to a severe flu outbreak.
The rejected offer included increased training places but no pay rise for the current financial year. Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA's resident doctors committee, called the proposal “too little, too late,” noting it merely repackaged existing jobs. He reiterated the demand for “full pay restoration” to 2008-09 levels, after a 28.9% increase over three years.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the strike as “frankly beyond belief” given NHS pressures. Streeting accused the BMA of “scaremongering” and dismissed the 26% pay claim as a “fantasy demand.” The BMA insists the strike is avoidable if the government presents a credible offer.
