Resident doctors in England will walk out for six days after Easter after rejecting what they described as the government's final offer in the long-running pay dispute. The British Medical Association (BMA) blamed the government for the strike, which will run from 7am on Tuesday 7 April to 6.59am on Monday 13 April, making it the longest stoppage so far.
This will be the 15th industrial action by resident doctors in their campaign for 'full pay restoration' and means they will strike for the fourth consecutive year. NHS leaders warned the strike could cost the health service an estimated £300m, lead to cancelled appointments, and force patients to wait longer for tests, treatment and surgery.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the BMA's decision as 'enormously disappointing', stating that resident doctors had rejected a 'generous' offer that would have brought higher salaries and more training places. Talks had been ongoing since early January, with both sides agreeing progress had been made over salaries and career progression.
The key sticking point was pay progression, or 'nodal point reform', and how quickly doctors move through the NHS pay system. The BMA wanted the extra money—totalling £700m over three years—to be paid entirely in the next financial year, while the Department of Health and Social Care insisted on spreading it over three years. Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA's resident doctors committee, said negotiations had been going well until the government 'began to shift the goalposts'.
The BMA and Streeting have signalled willingness to hold fresh talks to try to avert the strike, but the union said it would only reach a deal if the government agreed to the full £700m in the upcoming financial year. The first strike by resident doctors began on 13 March 2023, and Streeting had previously issued a 22% pay rise in July 2024 in an effort to end the dispute.
