Health secretary Wes Streeting has launched his strongest attack yet on the British Medical Association, accusing the doctors' union of 'cartel-like behaviour' that threatens the future of the NHS. Speaking ahead of a five-day strike by resident doctors beginning on Friday, Streeting said the BMA was 'no longer a professional voice for doctors' and warned that its 'antics' were endangering the health service.
The health secretary told the NHS Providers conference that the BMA was acting like a cartel and 'threaten not just the recovery of the NHS under this government, they threaten the future of the NHS, full stop'. He said the union needed to 'get real' over its pay demands, noting that resident doctors had already received a 28.9% pay increase over the last three years. The BMA is seeking a further 26% over the next few years to compensate for pay erosion since 2008.
Streeting also criticised the BMA for lobbying against higher taxes for high-earning doctors while demanding that other workers pay more to fund salary increases. He highlighted that the average salary for all doctors in England is £88,269, with consultants typically earning £127,540, while many NHS staff earn far less. 'It's time for the BMA to get real,' he said.
NHS trust leaders are bracing for significant disruption from this week's strike, which will be the 13th walkout since March 2023. One trust chief executive warned that during strikes, 'there is a risk that people will die who wouldn't otherwise have come to harm', as hospitals already struggle with an early flu season.
