Resident doctors in England, represented by the British Medical Association (BMA), have announced a four-day strike from 15 to 19 June over an ongoing pay dispute. The decision follows the BMA's rejection of the Government's latest pay offer, which they deemed insufficient and lacking concrete commitments on jobs.
New Health Secretary Fails to Break Impasse
The announcement comes after newly appointed Health Secretary James Murray met with BMA representatives for the first time. However, the union stated his offer did not improve upon previous proposals. Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the resident doctors committee, criticised Mr Murray for not taking a "genuine opportunity to break this logjam" and for offering "no further money on the table" or concrete job commitments.
Government Responds
Mr Murray expressed disappointment, calling the BMA's demands "unrealistic, unaffordable, and unsustainable" and urging them to reconsider. He highlighted that resident doctors have received a 33.4 per cent pay rise over the past four years. The strike is set to cause further disruption to NHS services, already under strain from previous walkouts.
