Overview

• Negotiations collapsed in mid-July when the BMA refused to suspend the strike without a firm commitment on a 29% pay restoration demand despite agreement on non-pay reforms.
• Up to 50,000 resident doctors are participating in their 12th walkout in two years, disrupting routine and planned NHS services through July 30.
• The government’s 5.4% pay offer falls well short of the BMA’s demand to reverse real-term cuts since 2008, which the doctors say amounts to a 20% loss after inflation.
• Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has pledged to outlaw doctors’ strikes and reintroduce minimum service levels to ensure basic care during industrial action.
• A YouGov poll shows 52% of the public oppose the strike, and NHS England warns that ongoing disruption could spark further staff unrest.