A new YouGov survey has revealed that more than half of Britons oppose the upcoming resident doctors' strikes, marking a notable decline in public support compared with two years ago. The poll, which sampled nearly 5,500 individuals, found that 52 per cent were against the industrial action, while only 37 per cent expressed support.
Strike Announcement and Government Response
The British Medical Association (BMA) announced earlier this week that its members would stage a four-day walkout starting at 7am on Monday, 15 June. This will be the 16th strike since 2023. The announcement came just an hour after the BMA’s initial discussions with the new health secretary, James Murray.
Mr Murray stated he had been "clear" with the union that a 33.4 per cent pay rise for resident doctors over the last four years rendered their demands for further increases "unrealistic, unaffordable, and unsustainable." Resident doctors last took industrial action over the Easter period in April.
Previous Offer and Negotiations
Former health secretary Wes Streeting had previously put forward an offer to the BMA for a 4.9 per cent increase in average basic pay from 2026 to 2027. He claimed this would have left resident doctors 35.2 per cent better off than four years prior. The proposal also included an offer of 1,000 additional training places, though this was subsequently withdrawn due to the escalating costs of strikes to the NHS.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, told the Press Association that strike action has historically proven effective in bringing the government to the negotiating table. He said: "In November, we wrote to the Health Secretary to come to the table, he didn’t respond, and therefore we announced industrial action which brought him to the table. That led to a number of things, including an offer."
Dr Fletcher continued: "We put that offer to our members in December, that was rejected and we then took industrial action to get a better offer. We’ve been in discussions in January, February, March, and those discussions were very constructive, however, they fundamentally didn’t address the problems that we have. We are losing doctors to other countries because they are not valued. I don’t want to be taking further industrial action. I want to be getting an offer that we can put to our members to bring this dispute to a close, but fundamentally, that isn’t going to happen if the Health Secretary and this team are not willing to move on the previous offer."
Political Divide in Public Opinion
Further analysis of the YouGov polling reveals a significant political divide in public opinion. A majority of those who voted Labour in 2024 (51 per cent) continue to support resident doctors, a sentiment echoed by Green voters (61 per cent). In contrast, half of Liberal Democrat voters opposed the action, compared to 39 per cent who were in favour, with opposition soaring to between 78 per cent and 82 per cent among Conservative and Reform UK voters.
Mr Murray reiterated his position, saying: "Support for the BMA’s resident doctor strikes has plummeted over the last two years, with the majority of the public saying they are not in favour time and time again. Resident doctors have had a 33.4 per cent pay rise over the last four years – the highest anywhere across the public sector. People can see that is a fair deal. There are record numbers of doctors working in our NHS this year. Waiting lists are at their lowest in 17 years and patient satisfaction is up. I urge the BMA to step back from more damaging strikes and work in partnership with the government, not against us, for the benefit of their members, the wider NHS and the entire great British public that relies on our brilliant, world-class health service day in, day out."
