Overview
- BMA leaders opened an online survey closing Monday 15 December to decide whether to call off a planned 17–22 December walkout.
- The government’s package prioritizes UK medical graduates for speciality training, expands posts by 4,000 over three years with 1,000 starting in 2026, and funds mandatory exam and Royal College fees.
- The union declined to pause the strike during consultation, despite an offer to extend its mandate and allow action to be rescheduled to January if members reject the deal.
- Health Secretary Wes Streeting warned he cannot guarantee maintaining 95% of elective activity during the proposed strike as hospitals report record flu admissions for this point in the year.
- BMA figures say the proposal does nothing on pay restoration, with the union seeking a multi‑year uplift of about 26%, while Keir Starmer urged doctors to accept the offer and NHS leaders warned of patient‑safety risks.