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4w ago

UK Government and Resident Doctors Clash Over Pay as Strike Ballot Looms

Health Secretary Wes Streeting calls proposed strike action 'premature' while the BMA pushes for pay restoration after years of real-term wage decline.

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The British Medical Association ended its strikes last summer after gaining a 22 per cent pay rise, but is now pushing for “full pay restoration”
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Overview

  • The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced a ballot for resident doctors on potential strike action, which could begin later this year and extend into January 2026.
  • Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticized the ballot as 'premature,' urging doctors to wait for an imminent government pay offer expected in the coming weeks.
  • Resident doctors have seen a 22.3% real-term pay decline since 2008, fueling their demand for further pay restoration despite accepting a 22.3% pay deal in September 2024.
  • Strikes during 2023-2024 cost taxpayers £1.7 billion, disrupted nearly 1.5 million NHS appointments, and contributed to a backlog nearing eight million cases.
  • The BMA has warned of a 'second phase' of industrial action if pay restoration demands, including a further 14% increase by 2027, are not met.