Resident doctors in England have voted to strike for five days starting 25 July, reigniting a bitter dispute over pay. The British Medical Association (BMA) says real earnings have fallen by more than a fifth since 2008, while the government argues the demands are unaffordable given recent rises.
Since the 2007-08 financial crisis, pay has stagnated across Britain, but resident doctors have fared worse than most. The average private sector worker now earns 7.5% more than in August 2010 after inflation, but resident doctors' pay was still down 10.2% as of March this year. Even with a 5.4% rise due next month, pay will remain below 2010 levels.
The BMA calculates a 21% real-terms cut over 17 years using the RPI measure of inflation, which is generally higher than the government's preferred CPI measure. However, the government itself uses RPI for student loan interest calculations, affecting many doctors.
International comparisons are difficult due to differing training programmes and benefits. OECD data from 2020 shows England near the top for specialist doctor pay after adjusting for cost of living, but countries like Germany and Ireland pay more. Separate data indicates at least one in 10 UK-trained doctors now practise abroad, with Australia the most common destination in 2023.
