Thousands of doctors across England commenced a five-day industrial action on Friday, protesting issues surrounding pay and limited training opportunities. The walkout, which started at 0700 GMT, marks the 13th strike by medical professionals since March 2023.
The strike involves many resident doctors—junior medics who represent roughly half of the hospital workforce. Their decision to down tools has drawn sharp criticism from Health Minister Wes Streeting, who accused the British Medical Association (BMA) of escalating tensions unnecessarily.
Streeting, writing in the Daily Telegraph, argued that the union’s approach had shifted away from genuine negotiation. “This strike isn’t about fairness anymore. It’s about political posturing,” he said, insisting the government would not reconsider pay after doctors received “a 28.9 per cent pay rise over the last three years and the highest pay award across the entire public sector in the last two.”
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However, the BMA maintains that doctors remain significantly underpaid compared to two decades ago. The union says a 26 per cent pay uplift is needed to restore lost earnings. It is also calling for a major expansion of training posts, highlighting that competition is intense—some 30,000 applicants often compete for only 10,000 positions required to advance toward consultant roles.
The shortage of training opportunities has left many qualified doctors without stable employment despite years of medical preparation.
The strike unfolds against the backdrop of Britain’s ongoing cost-of-living struggle, a crisis that has fuelled nationwide industrial actions. Over the past three and a half years, teachers, nurses, paramedics, lawyers, rail workers and border officials have all staged walkouts demanding improved conditions and pay.