Overview

• Resident doctors in England voted by 90% on a 55% turnout to back strikes until January 2026, granting the British Medical Association authority to call further action.
• The union will stage a five-day walkout from 7am on July 25 to 7am on July 30 to press for a 29% pay increase to restore real-term salary values to 2008 levels.
• Downing Street has rejected calls to reopen pay negotiations, arguing that doctors have already received the highest public-sector award and that the government “can’t be more generous.”
• NHS Employers and NHS Providers warn that renewed stoppages could cancel or reschedule hundreds of thousands of appointments and jeopardise waiting-time and reform targets.
• Health Secretary Wes Streeting cautioned that the public “will not forgive” renewed strikes and urged medics to reconsider action that could stall NHS recovery plans.