Resident doctors in England set to strike from 25 July

Resident doctors in England are set to go on strike from 25 July to 30 July due to a pay dispute with the government, as announced by the British Medical Association (BMA).

The BMA has given Health Secretary Wes Streeting two weeks to negotiate a path to pay restoration. The strike is scheduled to take place from 7am on 25 July to 7am on 30 July.

The BMA resident doctors committee co-chairs, Dr. Melissa Ryan and Dr. Ross Nieuwoudt, stated that despite efforts to negotiate with the government on pay restoration, the government refused to move on the issue.

Streeting warned that strike action by resident doctors would be a disaster for both BMA members and patients, emphasizing that the government cannot afford further pay rises.

According to the BMA, about 90% of voting resident doctors supported the strike action, with a 55% turnout. The union argues that resident doctors need a 29.2% pay rise to reverse pay erosion since 2008-09.

The government, however, has stated that negotiations on pay will not be reopened, citing that resident doctors have already received significant pay increases in recent years.

Chief executive of NHS Providers, Daniel Elkeles, expressed concerns that a return to industrial action would be detrimental to patients, staff, and the NHS.

In a separate development, BMA members previously accepted a government pay deal averaging 22.3% over two years. The 2025-26 pay deal included a 4% rise plus a £750 increase on a consolidated basis, resulting in an average pay rise of 5.4%.

The BMA's call for a 29.2% increase is based on the retail prices index inflation.

According to the source: The Guardian.