Doctors to strike in June after pay talks fail
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Resident doctors in England are set to strike for four days in June after talks between the British Medical Association and the new Health Secretary failed to reach a deal.
The British Medical Association confirmed that resident doctors will strike from 7am on Monday 15 June to 6.59am on Friday 19 June. The announcement followed the union’s first talks with new Health Secretary James Murray, where no agreement was reached on pay and job protections.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors’ committee, said strike action had been effective in bringing the government to the negotiating table in the past. He said doctors were being lost to other countries because they are not valued, and urged the government to settle the dispute.
The BMA said further strike dates in July could be announced if no progress is made.
Doctors leaving the UK
The dispute includes concerns about pay, job protections and the number of doctors leaving the NHS.
Dr Fletcher said the NHS had seen falling productivity over the past decade, despite employing more people, and warned that moving further away from doctor-led care could make the problem worse.
He said doctors were continuing to leave the NHS and called for a credible offer covering both pay and career progression.
Health Secretary calls demands unrealistic
James Murray, who was appointed Health Secretary after the resignation of Wes Streeting earlier this month, said he wanted a productive relationship with the BMA but described the union’s demands for further pay increases as unrealistic, unaffordable and unsustainable.
He said resident doctors had already received a 33.4% pay rise over the last four years, which he described as the highest across the public sector.
Speaking after the strike action was announced, Mr Murray said the BMA had refused to consider further discussions on strengthening the existing offer and had instead moved to further strike action.
He said the strikes would put pressure on other NHS staff, affect patients and cost the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds.