Overview
- The government’s package includes emergency legislation to prioritise UK and Republic of Ireland graduates and long‑serving NHS doctors for specialty training, plus 4,000 new training places with 1,000 accelerated.
- Cost measures in the offer include reimbursing mandatory exam and Royal College fees for resident doctors and lifting the less‑than‑full‑time allowance by 50% to £1,500.
- The BMA is running a short online survey that closes Monday to decide whether the proposal is sufficient to cancel next week’s walkout, with a formal referendum to follow if members back pausing action.
- Ministers say delivering the reforms depends on strikes being called off and have offered to extend the union’s strike mandate and permit rescheduling to January, a step the BMA has not accepted.
- NHS leaders warn of severe winter pressures, citing record flu hospitalisations and urging doctors to rethink action, while the BMA says the plan fails to restore pay or immediately increase the number of practising doctors.