Overview

• Ballots opened on May 26 and close July 7, with any mandate allowing strikes from July through January 2026.
• The government’s proposal offers a 4% rise for most doctors plus a £750 top-up for residents, resulting in a 5.4% average increase above current inflation.
• Union leaders demand a 29% pay increase to restore doctors’ salaries to 2008 levels, arguing the latest award would take over a decade to reverse past pay declines.
• Health Secretary Wes Streeting is urging doctors to reject industrial action, warning further walkouts could undermine NHS recovery and patient care.
• Since 2022, strikes by resident doctors have led to the cancellation or rescheduling of approximately 1.5 million NHS appointments.