Thousands of doctors in England began a five-day strike on Friday, intensifying the long-running fight over pay and career progression in the National Health Service. The industrial action, which started at 0700 GMT, marks the 13th walkout by medical staff since March 2023.
The strike involves resident doctors, those below consultant level, who make up nearly half of the hospital workforce and sit at the center of the NHS labour dispute. Their absence is expected to deepen the strain in an already stretched health system still battling long waiting lists and workforce shortages.
Health minister Wes Streeting sharply criticized the strike, accusing the British Medical Association (BMA) of escalating conflict rather than seeking solutions. He argued that “This strike isn’t about fairness anymore. It’s about political posturing,” and insisted the government “cannot and will not move on pay, especially not after 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.”
The BMA maintains that doctors still need a further 26 per cent increase to return pay to its real value from two decades ago. The union is also pushing for additional training positions, noting that more than 30,000 doctors are competing for just 10,000 posts needed to progress toward consultant roles.
Doctors warn that the shortage of training opportunities leaves many without permanent roles despite years of education and service. The situation underscores deeper structural shortages that complicate the NHS’s ability to retain talent.
The action adds to a broader wave of strikes driven by the UK’s prolonged cost-of-living crisis. Teachers, nurses, ambulance workers, lawyers, rail staff, and border officials have all staged walkouts over the past three and a half years, reflecting widespread frustration across essential services.s.
