Doctors stage five-day strike before Christmas

The British Medical Association has announced a new round of strikes in England in a long-running pay dispute.

Resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, will stage a five-day walkout starting December 17.

This will be the 14th strike by the doctors’ union since March 2023 and is expected to cause significant disruption, particularly in hospitals.

Resident physicians make up nearly half of the medical staff and range from physicians fresh out of college to those with up to a decade of experience.

They will move away from emergency and routine care, and experienced doctors will be brought in to provide coverage.

The move follows a five-day strike last month after negotiations between the government and the union failed.

The government had offered doctors a deal to create more training positions, improve working conditions and help with personal expenses such as exam fees.

But the BMA rejected the proposal, saying any deal must involve a pay rise.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting says he will not negotiate on salaries after resident doctors received pay increases totaling almost 30% over the past three years.

But the union says that, despite the pay increases, resident doctors’ pay remains a fifth lower than in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said with the government failing to present a credible plan, the union was left with no choice.

But he added: “These [strikes] there is no need to move forward. Gradually increasing salaries over a few years and providing common sense solutions to the job security of our doctors are well within the reach of this government. »

The BMA’s strike mandate ends at the start of January, but it has announced it will hold another vote of its members.