NHS junior doctors announce new five-day strike in long-running dispute over pay

NHS junior doctors in England will strike over five days from 27 June until 2 July in a long-running dispute over pay, the British Medical Association has announced. 

Talks had recently reopened with the hopes of ending the argument between medics in training and the government. 

Since March 2023, there have been numerous walkouts by junior doctors. The BMA has asked for a 35 per cent pay increase staged over a number of years to make up for 15 years of below inflation pay rises.

In the last financial year, junior doctors were handed a pay rise averaging nine per cent.

BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said: “We made clear to the government that we would strike unless discussions ended in a credible pay offer. 

“For more than 18 months we have been asking Rishi Sunak to put forward proposals to restore the pay junior doctors have lost over the past 15 years – equal to more than a quarter in real terms.  

She added: “When we entered mediation with government this month we did so under the impression that we had a functioning government that would soon be making an offer. Clearly no offer is now forthcoming. Junior doctors are fed up and out of patience. 

“Even at this late stage Mr Sunakhas the opportunity to show that he cares about the NHS and its workers. It is finally time for him to make a concrete commitment to restore doctors’ pay. If during this campaign he makes such a public commitment that is acceptable to the BMA’s junior doctors committee, then no strikes need go ahead.”

The committee said after three months of talks between the government, the prime minister has “still made no credible offer to junior doctors”.   

“After the general election was called last week the BMA gave the government a final opportunity to make an offer and avoid strikes. This opportunity has not been taken up,” they added.

More to follow