Resident doctors in England have called off a planned four-day strike after the government made a last-minute offer, which will now be put to a vote by members. The walkout, scheduled to begin at 7am on Monday, would have been the 16th round of strike action since 2023.
The British Medical Association (BMA) confirmed on Saturday that the offer includes an average 6.6% pay uplift, to be fully implemented by April 2027, along with standard 2016 resident doctor contract terms for locally employed doctors. Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said the offer was appropriate to put to members, but criticised the timing, stating it “should not have been left to the last moment”.
Dr Fletcher emphasised that strikes are a last resort, and that the BMA will negotiate in good faith when the government shifts its position. He warned that if members reject the offer, escalated action could follow next month. The referendum will give tens of thousands of frontline doctors the chance to decide whether the offer is sufficient.
Health Secretary James Murray welcomed the development, calling it “positive” for patients, but noted that after a 28.9% pay rise for resident doctors over the past three years, the country cannot afford to increase the pay offer for this year. Prof Frankie Swords, national medical director at NHS England, had earlier warned that the strike would have created a “triple whammy of pressure” coinciding with warm weather and the World Cup.
