Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned that planned strikes by resident doctors would be 'a gift to Nigel Farage', ahead of a meeting with the British Medical Association (BMA) this week. Speaking to Labour MPs, Streeting said ministers were 'in the fight for the survival of the NHS' and that failure would allow Farage to argue for replacing it with an insurance-style system.
Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, have voted for five days of industrial action in England starting 25 July, demanding a 29% pay rise to compensate for years of below-inflation increases. Labour has offered a 5.4% rise this year, following a 22% increase over the previous two years. Streeting described the strike threat as 'unnecessary, unreasonable, and unfair', and said there was 'no more room for manoeuvre' on pay.
The health secretary also criticised reports that some doctors might not inform their employers of their intention to strike, calling such behaviour 'shockingly irresponsible' and 'unconscionable'. He warned that strikes would lead to cancelled operations and delays, and revealed that a family member was awaiting an 'inevitable' call about a postponed procedure. 'We can mitigate against the impact of strikes, but we cannot promise that there will be no consequence,' he said.
The BMA defended the pay claim, arguing that doctors did not work through the Covid pandemic only to face a real-terms pay cut. Streeting urged doctors to 'do the right thing' and give proper notice, while reiterating his willingness to discuss other issues such as unemployment and specialty progression. Labour took office with a mandate to fix the NHS, and Streeting insisted he had 'no intention of losing' the fight for its survival.
