Overview
- On a 65% turnout, 97% of first-year resident doctors in England voted to authorise strike action linked to job security and pay.
- No strike dates have been set, with the union saying ministers must address training posts and what it calls a 21% real-terms pay erosion since 2008 to avert walkouts.
- A BMA survey reported that 34% of resident doctors had no substantive employment or regular work from August 2025, rising to 52% among second-year doctors.
- More than 30,000 doctors competed for about 10,000 first-round specialty training places this year, while the government has pledged 1,000 extra training posts over three years.
- Health minister Stephen Kinnock urged continued engagement and highlighted a review of postgraduate training and steps to prioritise UK graduates, as the wider pay dispute remains unresolved after July’s five-day strike.