Resident doctors in England will strike for six days after Easter, from 7am on Tuesday 7 April to 6.59am on Monday 13 April, after rejecting what they described as the final offer from Health Secretary Wes Streeting to resolve the long-running pay dispute. The British Medical Association (BMA) blamed the government for the walkout, which will be the longest so far and the 15th industrial action by resident doctors in their campaign for 'full pay restoration'.
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. Streeting called the BMA's decision 'enormously disappointing', stating that resident doctors had rejected a 'generous' offer that included higher salaries through more frequent and fairer pay rises, as well as more training places.
Talks had been ongoing since early January, with both sides agreeing progress had been made on salaries and early career doctors' ability to move into specialist training. However, negotiations broke down over the speed of pay progression through the NHS pay system, known as 'nodal point reform'. The BMA wanted the full £700m in extra pay over three years to be delivered 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 the government began to shift the goalposts two weeks ago. The decision by the review body on doctors' pay to award a 3.5% rise next year further convinced the BMA that the government would not meet their demands. The first strike by resident doctors began in March 2023, and Streeting issued a 22% pay rise in July 2024 in an effort to end the dispute, but the BMA has sought a further 26% rise to compensate for the erosion in real-terms salaries since 2008-09.
Both the BMA and Streeting have signalled willingness to hold fresh talks to try to avert the strike, but the union has said a deal is only possible if the government agrees to the full £700m in the upcoming financial year. Streeting thanked the BMA leadership for its 'constructive approach' during recent talks.
