Support for the ongoing strikes by resident doctors in England appears to be waning, with reports indicating higher attendance at work during the latest industrial action compared to previous walkouts. According to a snapshot poll of NHS trust chief executives compiled by NHS Providers, most planned care has proceeded as intended, with many medics choosing to work or stay home rather than join picket lines, which were notably smaller across the country. In some areas, more than three-quarters of doctors arrived for their shifts despite the strike. This five-day strike, which began recently, marks the 13th such walkout by resident doctors since March 2023.
The health sector is divided over the reasons behind the strike. The British Medical Association (BMA) argues its members are striking due to job insecurity, stagnant pay, and years of real-term wage decline, demanding a 29% pay rise to restore earnings to 2008 levels and address staffing shortages. This demand follows a 28.9% pay rise resident doctors have received over the past three years, including a 5.4% increase earlier this year. However, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has condemned the strike, calling the pay demand "reprehensible" and "unreasonable," accusing the BMA of holding patients "to ransom" and damaging NHS recovery efforts.
The government insists that the pay offers already made are generous. Streeting highlighted an offer that included doubling training places for early-career doctors and providing cash support for out-of-pocket expenses, offers the BMA has rejected as inadequate. Streeting also accused union activists of representing a vocal minority rather than the wider members, suggesting that many doctors do not support continued strike action. NHS leaders aim to maintain at least 95% of planned activity during the strike to minimise patient disruption.
The industrial action has seen some political backlash. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has stated she would ban doctors' strikes if in power, arguing that repeated strikes risk patient safety despite recent pay rises being among the most generous in the public sector. She and others suggest that continuous strikes are detrimental to the NHS and patients.
The strikes have already taken a toll on the NHS, with previous walkouts estimated to have cost the health service around £300 million and caused widespread cancellations, with more than 54,000 procedures and appointments affected during the last resident doctor strike. Government figures indicate that ending previous strikes saved half a million appointments and operations, helping reduce NHS waiting lists. Despite this, doctors maintain that the dispute is about more than just pay, career progression and job security remain significant concerns.
Adding complexity to the dispute, hospital consultants are reportedly preparing to join the strikes over pay disputes, potentially intensifying pressures on the NHS. The consultants' committee of the BMA is in talks with the government for a pay increase above a 4% rise imposed for the 2025/26 period, with a threat of industrial action if no deal is reached by the end of the year. This escalation could exacerbate challenges already faced by the health secretary and the NHS.
The national medical director of the NHS, Professor Meghana Pandit, acknowledged that every strike is "devastating" for the NHS but urged patients to continue seeking care and attend appointments unless otherwise advised. The ongoing dispute underscores the fragile state of NHS workforce relations, impacted not only by pay concerns but also by broader workforce planning challenges in a system struggling to meet demand.
📌 Reference Map:
- [1] (Daily Mail) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8
- [2] (Reuters) - Paragraphs 2, 4
- [3] (The Guardian) - Paragraphs 2, 4
- [4] (The Guardian) - Paragraphs 4, 5
- [5] (Gov.uk) - Paragraph 6
- [6] (The Guardian) - Paragraph 7
Source: Noah Wire Services