NHS leaders have condemned the British Medical Association's decision to call a six-day strike by resident doctors starting 7 April, accusing them of aiming to cause “maximum harm” to patients. The strike follows the BMA's rejection of a government pay offer worth £700m over three years, which Health Secretary Wes Streeting described as “generous”.
Glen Burley, director of financial reset and accountability at NHS England, told a board meeting on Thursday that the BMA's withdrawal from talks was “really disappointing for patients”. He added: “We know we'll be at a busy stage again. So it feels like it's trying to push maximum harm.” Jim Mackey, NHS England's chief executive, said the dispute, which began in March 2023, would now continue for the foreseeable future, calling the breakdown of negotiations “incredibly disappointing”.
The BMA's resident doctors committee opted not to put the offer to members for a vote. Streeting has given the union until 2 April to reconsider, warning that otherwise the offer, which also included an expansion of specialist training places from 1,000 to 4,500, would be withdrawn. The BMA claimed the government “shifted the goalposts” two weeks ago, but did not specify how.
The rejected offer would have increased pay for resident doctors by allowing them to move up pay scales more quickly, equivalent to a cumulative 26% uplift over several years. However, the BMA insisted the money be provided in a single year, 2026-27, and walked away when ministers refused. In the Commons, Streeting said the BMA's claim that pay had risen by 35% over four years was accurate, but Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA's resident doctors committee, called this “misleading” and “wildly overstating the case” given the impact of inflation.
