Junior doctors poised to strike after Government ‘ignored’ demands for pay bumps

By JADA BAS

Published: 13:10 BST, 2 May 2025 | Updated: 13:51 BST, 2 May 2025

Junior doctors in England will ballot for strike action over ‘ignored’ demands for pay, the British Medical Association has announced.

The union said three weeks had passed since it warned the Government of the ‘consequences of the absence of a reasonable, timely pay offer’.

The ballot will open on May 27 and closes on July 7.

The medics are now referred to as resident doctors instead of junior doctors as part of their pay deal last summer.

The union met today with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to discuss their calls for a pay rise, but were unsuccessful in their pleas.

Co-chairs of BMA’s resident doctors’ committee, Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, said: ‘We made clear that all he would have to do to avoid the need for a ballot was pledge to negotiate a fair deal that moved us toward pay restoration by 2027, in line with existing BMA policy.

‘Unfortunately, he could not make this commitment.’

They added: ‘Resident doctors are not going to be ignored. We are going to stand up for our value to the NHS and to patients, and we are going to fight to stay on the path set out for us by last year’s deal: restoration of our pay to the level of 2008.

Junior doctors in England will ballot for strike action over ‘ignored’ demands for pay. Above, the doctors striking in June 2024

Health Secretary Wes Streeting could not meet the demands of the union, The British Medical Association said

‘No doctor today is worth less than they were 17 years ago, and that is precisely what doctors voting ‘yes’ to industrial action will be telling the Government.

‘We don’t want to be in the situation where we have to fight over and over again for our worth – we would rather get on with our careers and our work caring for our patients.’

It follows previous threats in January to strike after promises for over time payment were not met, while ‘several smaller issues remain unresolved’. The doctors said that despite the agreement being made in good faith, they had reached an impasse.

The pending strike action comes doctors accepted a staggering 22 per cent pay rise in September after ministers refused their demands for a 26 per cent hike in 2022.

The bump followed the longest industrial dispute in the NHS’s history and ended months of paralysing walkouts as hospitals were brought to a virtual standstill.

It means the starting basic salary for a junior doctor has risen from £29,384 in 2022-23 to £36,616 this year, with those at the top end earning more than £70,000. 

While previous walkouts have led to the cancellation of elective care, emergency services like A&Es have remained open.

Officials have urged Britons needing urgent medical care to still seek help if needed.

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Junior doctors poised to strike after Government ‘ignored’ demands for pay bumps

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