Resident doctors across England have backed industrial action, highlighting ongoing disputes over pay, workload, and working conditions in the NHS
Resident doctors who are members of the British Medical Association (BMA) have voted in favour of industrial action amid ongoing disputes over working conditions and pay. They are urging the Health Secretary to engage in meaningful negotiations to resolve the issues and avoid disruption to NHS services.
90% of doctors voted to strike
The ballot, which ran from May 27 to July 7, saw a turnout of 55%, with almost 30,000 (29,741) votes cast, and 26,766 of those participating endorsed the use of strike action as part of efforts to restore pay. The result means that resident doctors have now secured a fresh mandate for industrial action from now until January 2026.
RDC co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said: “Doctors have spoken and spoken clearly: they won’t accept that they are worth a fifth less than they were in 2008. Our pay may have declined, but our will to fight remains strong.
“We now find ourselves at a crucial crossroads. Last year, when in opposition, Mr Streeting said that the solution to strikes was to talk to resident doctors. It was as true then as it is now. He made a point of acting quickly to grasp the issue and negotiate a solution. Only a few weeks ago he again said he wanted to get back round the table with us.
“Now we will see if he can once again make the right decision. He needs to come forward as soon as possible with a credible path to pay restoration. All we need is a credible pay offer, and nobody needs to strike.
“Doctors don’t take industrial action lightly – but they know it is preferable to watching their profession wither away. The next move is the government’s. Will it repeat the mistakes of its predecessor? Or will it do the right thing and negotiate a path to full pay restoration and the restoration of doctors’ confidence in our profession’s future?”
Previous strikes were only the start
Between 2023 and 2024, resident doctors in England participated in 11 rounds of strike action, following stalled negotiations with the then-government. Following last year’s general election, resident doctors agreed on pay with the newly elected Labour Government. Whilst this agreement marked the end of the formal dispute process, resident doctors leaders were clear that it was merely a step forward rather than the end of the journey to complete pay restoration.
Resident doctors in England re-entered the formal dispute with the government in April, following the failure to meet an agreement to publish the recommendations of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration ahead of 6 April.
Doctors’ dissatisfaction was intensified following the publication of the DDRB on 22 May, with the report recommending a sub-inflationary pay uplift of just 4%.
NHS recovery at risk from doctor strikes, warn experts
Health leaders have raised concerns about recent events that could impact the NHS’s ongoing efforts to improve services and manage patient care. These developments have the potential to impact current plans and operations, with broader implications for the healthcare system. Stakeholders continue to monitor the situation closely as it unfolds.
Responding to the BMA’s announcement that resident doctors have voted in favour of further strikes, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:
“Industrial action is hugely disruptive for the NHS, which is working incredibly hard to improve performance, reduce waiting lists and implement the reforms needed to put it on a sustainable long-term footing.
“The recently published 10 Year Health Plan is an ambitious roadmap of how the NHS is going to balance the need for short-term improvement against long-term reforms. Resident doctors downing tools risks jeopardising both of these goals, as it could result in tens of thousands of appointments and operations being cancelled, with other staff, including consultants, being diverted to cover staffing gaps. While there have been recent improvements in waiting lists, hitting the 92 per cent target is a difficult enough ambition without further industrial action.
“It is also disappointing that despite making ending the resident doctors’ strikes a priority after entering office, the government is now back to where it was a year ago. There is also the risk that these strikes heighten tensions within different staffing groups, with nurses and other staff also discussing industrial action.
“A key part of making sure the 10 year plan is successful will be resetting the relationship between the NHS and the public. Turning around the perception that the health service is not there when people need it will be vital in the face of continued drops in public satisfaction. But further operations and procedures being cancelled due to industrial action are unlikely to reset the dial on this and could lead to further falls in public satisfaction with the NHS.”
