Health Secretary Wes Streeting has issued a stark warning that the upcoming junior doctors' strike could cost the National Health Service close to a quarter of a billion pounds as the long-running pay dispute escalates.
Fifth Day Walkout Amid Winter Pressures
The five-day industrial action scheduled to begin on Friday marks the 13th time since 2022 that resident doctors - formerly known as junior doctors - have walked out. The timing couldn't be worse for health service leaders, who fear the strike will coincide with what could become Britain's worst flu season on record.
Latest NHS figures reveal a worrying trend, with flu hospital admissions surging by 60 per cent in just one week. Cases in England are currently running at three times higher than normal seasonal levels, adding immense pressure to an already strained healthcare system.
Government and Union at Loggerheads
In a series of media appearances today, Mr Streeting delivered a strongly worded critique of the British Medical Association's decision to proceed with strike action. He described the move as 'self-defeating' and argued that doctors were 'not only disrupting care for patients but also shooting themselves in the foot'.
The Health Secretary pointed to what he described as a 28.9 per cent pay increase for resident doctors over the past three years, calling it the 'highest pay increase of the entire public sector'. He maintained that the government cannot afford further pay concessions, telling BBC Breakfast: 'I have been sat around the table in good faith with BMA resident doctors to say I can't move any more on pay, we can't afford to - look at the public finances, read the room.'
However, the BMA has consistently argued that they had 'little option but to call for strike action' after the Government failed to make what they consider a 'credible offer' on pay and working conditions.
Last-Minute Negotiations Collapse
Mr Streeting revealed that he had hoped to avert the walkout last week by offering the BMA a package of measures including more specialist training places and help with exam fees. However, the union rejected the proposal within just four hours of receiving it.
The Health Secretary told LBC radio that his first call today would be with the 'chair of the BMA resident doctors' committee to make a last-minute appeal for him to do the right thing and for his members to do the right thing'.
He expressed particular frustration that despite offering to address out-of-pocket expenses and create more jobs for doctors, the union remained focused solely on pay increases. 'What they often come back with is: "But you're not moving on pay"', he noted.
NHS Prepares for Strike Impact
Meanwhile, NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey has written to all NHS trust leaders urging them to maintain services during the industrial action. In his letter, Sir Jim called for a 'laser focus' on four priority areas:
- Maintaining emergency care and maternity services
- Ensuring efficient discharge of patients fit to go home
- Continuing at least 95 per cent of elective activity compared to normal expectations
- Maintaining priority treatments including urgent planned surgery and cancer care
The scale of the challenge is significant given that resident doctors comprise around half of all doctors working within the NHS. Their absence during the five-day strike will inevitably strain hospital resources already dealing with seasonal pressures.
The Pay Debate Continues
The fundamental disagreement between the government and doctors' union centres on how pay should be measured. The BMA maintains that first-year resident doctor pay is 21 per cent lower in real terms than it was in 2008, using the Retail Price Index (RPI) measure of inflation that includes housing costs.
However, the government considers RPI outdated and instead uses the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), which examines the cost of goods and services based on a basket of household items. Analysis from health think tank the Nuffield Trust suggests that using CPI shows pay has fallen by approximately 5 per cent since 2008.
Currently, first-year resident doctors in England earn a basic salary of £38,831, rising to £44,439 in their second year. After eight years or more, salaries can progress to around £70,000, with additional payments for night shifts, weekends and longer hours.
Public opinion appears divided on the dispute. A recent YouGov poll found that 48 per cent of Britons oppose the junior doctors' strike action, while 39 per cent support it. The polling company noted this represents a shift from last summer when majority public support favoured the doctors.
As the Friday strike deadline approaches, both sides appear entrenched in their positions, leaving patients and the wider NHS to bear the consequences of another damaging industrial dispute.
