Key Takeaways
- Resident doctors in England have begun five days of strike action after rejecting the government’s latest offer to resolve the dispute over pay and jobs.
- The British Medical Association (BMA) and the health secretary, Wes Streeting, met to reach an agreement, but failed to do so.
- The strike will last until 7am on Monday, and it is the 14th strike that resident doctors have staged since March 2023.
- The latest offer from the government would have increased the number of training places, but not increased pay for the current financial year.
- NHS leaders are anxious about how the service will cope with the strike, with record numbers of patients in hospital with flu.
Introduction to the Strike
Resident doctors in England have started a five-day strike after rejecting the government’s latest offer to resolve the long-running dispute over pay and jobs. The British Medical Association (BMA) and the health secretary, Wes Streeting, met on Tuesday in a final attempt to reach an agreement, but unfortunately, they were unable to come to a mutually acceptable solution. As a result, resident doctors will remain on strike until 7am on Monday. This industrial action is the 14th strike that resident doctors have staged since March 2023, highlighting the ongoing tensions between the government and the medical profession.
The Government’s Offer and the BMA’s Response
The latest offer from the government would have increased the number of training places to enable early career doctors to start training in their chosen medical specialty. However, it did not include a pay increase for the current financial year, which was a major sticking point for the BMA. Resident doctors, who make up about half of all NHS doctors, overwhelmingly rejected the offer in a BMA survey last week, with 83% voting against it on a 65% turnout. Of the 55,000 resident medics represented by the union, 35,107 took part in the survey, demonstrating the strong opposition to the government’s proposal.
The Impact of the Strike
The strike is expected to have a significant impact on the NHS, with record numbers of patients in hospital with flu. NHS leaders are anxious about how the service will cope with the strike, and Prof Meghana Pandit, NHS England’s national medical director, has expressed concerns about the disruption it will cause. She stated that staff will come together to provide safe care and limit disruption, but sadly, more patients are likely to feel the impact of this round of strikes than the previous two. Additionally, staff covering for the striking doctors will not get the Christmas break they deserve with their families, highlighting the human cost of the industrial action.
The BMA’s Demands and the Government’s Response
Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, has emphasized that doctors are willing to stand up for their profession against a "totally avoidable jobs crisis." He has called for a genuinely long-term plan to address the issues facing the medical profession, including a clear route to responsibly raise pay over a number of years and enough genuinely new jobs. The government has stated that every effort was made to avert strike action, but unfortunately, an agreement could not be reached. The Department of Health spokesperson has announced that all focus will now be on working with the whole NHS team to minimize the disruption caused by the strikes.
Conclusion and Next Steps
The strike by resident doctors in England is a significant development in the ongoing dispute over pay and jobs. The government’s failure to reach an agreement with the BMA has led to the 14th strike since March 2023, highlighting the deep-seated issues facing the medical profession. As the strike continues, NHS leaders will be working to minimize disruption and ensure patient safety. The government will need to reconsider its approach to addressing the concerns of resident doctors, and the BMA will continue to push for a genuinely long-term plan to resolve the crisis. The outcome of the strike and the subsequent negotiations will have a significant impact on the future of the NHS and the medical profession as a whole.
