Resident Doctors in England Plan Four-Day Strike in June Amid Ongoing Pay Dispute]

Resident doctors in England are set to stage a four-day strike next month as part of their ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions, with the British Medical Association blaming the new health secretary for the decision.

The strike will take place from 7am on Monday, June 15, through 6.59am on Friday, June 19, marking the 16th stoppage since the first walkout in March 2023. The action is expected to disrupt NHS services, forcing the postponement of tens of thousands of diagnostic tests, outpatient appointments, and operations.

The BMA is demanding a pay increase that would compensate for what it says is a 26% reduction in the real-term value of resident doctors’ salaries since 2008-09. The union also seeks a significant expansion of training places for medical specialties, representing around 55,000 of England’s 75,000 resident doctors.

New Health Secretary James Murray dismissed the union’s pay claim as “unrealistic, unaffordable, and unsustainable,” stating that after a 33.4% pay rise over the previous four years, further substantial increases were not justified. The NHS is estimated to lose £50 million daily during the strike.

Dr. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, criticized Murray’s approach, saying the union had hoped a change in leadership would improve negotiations. “We were prepared to give Mr. Murray time to settle into his role before completing the work his predecessor left unfinished,” Fletcher said. “He had a genuine opportunity to break this logjam with fresh energy and ambition. He has not taken it.”

The NHS Alliance, representing NHS trusts, condemned the strike as “rash and wholly irresponsible,” warning it would place additional strain on already overstretched staff and services.

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