A five-day doctor strike in England will proceed this week, despite a fresh government offer. The British Medical Association reported that 83% of its members who voted in an online poll over the weekend supported continuing the walkout, with a turnout of 65%. The poll was organized after the government proposed a new deal that would expand specialty training posts and cover some out-of-pocket costs such as exam fees.
The action, led by resident doctors (the term currently used for junior doctors), is scheduled to begin at 07:00 on Wednesday. Health Secretary Wes Streeting warned that the strike would be “irresponsible and dangerous” given hospitals are already under flu-related pressure.
The government’s offer did not address pay, which Streeting says will not be negotiated further after pay for resident doctors has risen by nearly 30% over the last three years. The BMA contends that, even with these increases, resident doctors’ pay remains about a fifth lower than it was in 2008 once inflation is taken into account.
Streeting dismissed the pay demands as “fantasy” and accused the BMA of choosing Christmas strikes at a moment of maximum NHS danger. He urged resident doctors to continue working, arguing that the risk attached to striking now is greater than at other times.
Flu pressures are mounting. Reports show hospital admissions for flu rose by more than 50% in the past week, surpassing 2,600 in the first week of December, with officials warning that the peak has not yet been reached. The current strain, H3N2, is associated with more severe illness and has evolved in ways that raise concerns about waning immunity.
This will be the 14th strike in the dispute that began in March 2023. Resident doctors, who make up nearly half of the medical workforce, will walk out of both emergency and non-urgent care. Senior doctors will provide cover.
Dr. Jack Fletcher, who leads the BMA’s resident doctors, described the vote as a clear message that the government’s response has been insufficient, saying thousands of frontline doctors reject the offer as “too little, too late.” He emphasized that any resolution must address pay and reaffirmed the union’s commitment to patient safety while maintaining close communication with NHS England during the strike.
Rory Deighton of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals, voiced strong disappointment that the BMA rejected the offer and chose to continue the strikes, which come at a time of rapidly rising flu cases and increased pressure on hospital services.
