The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced that resident doctors in England will stage a five-day strike from 17 to 22 December, escalating their long-running dispute over pay and job security.
This will be the 14th strike by doctors since March 2023, following a similar five-day action last month that prompted warnings the NHS may have to reduce frontline staff and services if walkouts continue.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said the government had failed to make a “credible offer on jobs or pay”, forcing the union to call more strikes. He added that the action could be avoided if ministers addressed pay erosion and job shortages.
The BMA argues that doctors need a 26% pay rise over several years to compensate for real-terms losses since 2008, despite the government noting pay has increased by nearly 30% over three years. The union also highlights a “jobs crisis”, with over 30,000 doctors competing for around 10,000 specialty training places this year.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned the strike announcement as a “cynical attempt to wreck Christmas”, stating the government had offered a pay rise and more jobs but the BMA rejected it without consulting members. He urged doctors to ignore the BMA’s call and said his door remained open for negotiations.
Previous strikes have cost the NHS an estimated £300m and led to over 1.5 million rescheduled appointments. The BMA is balloting members on extending its strike mandate to August 2026, with the ballot running from 8 December to 2 February.
