A planned four-day strike by UK hospital doctors has been called off, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced on Saturday, after the government made last-minute new proposals on pay, jobs and career progression.The strike, which was due to start at 7am on Monday and run until Friday morning, would be the 16th strike by hospital doctors since 2023 and stems from an ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions within the NHS.
New government proposals sent to MPs
The BMA said it would suspend strike action and submit revised government proposals to its members for a referendum.Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s residents’ committee, said: “We have always been clear that if we receive an offer that is suitable to make to members there will be no need to go ahead with the strike.”Doctors will decide whether the plan adequately addresses long-standing concerns about wage erosion, training opportunities and workforce shortages, he added.However, Fletcher warned that strike action could resume as early as next month if members reject the deal.
What is the offer?
The proposal does not include additional funding for this year’s wage settlement, on top of the 3.5% pay increase already announced, according to union and government officials.Instead, it provides:
- Advancements in salary grades will be faster in the future
- About 4,500 additional training positions for newly qualified doctors
- Covers professional exam fees
- Further pay rises could push average salary growth to 6.6% by April 2027
- Government sources said all funding would come from existing NHS budgets.
Government hails opportunity for ‘industrial peace’
Health Minister James Murray welcomed the suspension of strikes, saying it was an opportunity to break away from years of chaos. “It is a positive and welcome development that the BMA has called off these unnecessary strikes,” Murray said.“The country simply cannot afford to raise wages this year. I’m pleased the BMA has recognized this, which allows us to make progress in other areas such as training locations and working conditions.”He added that the agreement “is a good deal for hospitalists” and could help usher in a period of industry stability.
The pay war is far from over
Resident doctors (formerly called junior doctors) have received a cumulative salary increase of more than 33% over the past four years, including a 3.5% increase this year.Despite this, the BMA believes that doctors’ real earnings are still almost 20% lower than in 2008, after accounting for inflation.The dispute, which began under the previous Conservative government and continues under a Labor government elected in 2024, has caused multiple disruptions to the NHS and resulted in thousands of appointments and surgeries being postponed.While NHS England expects most services to continue as planned next week, hospitals are still expected to face challenges from services that were canceled before the strike.
