UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Resident doctors urged Health Secretary Wes Streeting to prioritise negotiation over criticism, warning failure to agree could lead to further NHS strikes in 2026.
As reported by Kate Devlin of The Independent, resident doctors warned Health Secretary Wes Streeting that NHS strikes in 2026 are likely unless talks replace public criticism.
What did the BMA tell Wes Streeting about avoiding further NHS strikes?
The doctors’ union launched a five-day walkout after turning down a government offer that did not include higher pay, with the strike running from 7 am on 17 December to 22 December.
The British Medical Association called on the Health Secretary to approach upcoming talks with a constructive mindset.
The head of the resident doctors committee, Dr Jack Fletcher, said,
“2026 must see less name-calling and more deal-making. What we need is a proper fix to this jobs crisis and a credible path towards restoring the lost value of the profession. That must mean the creation of genuinely new jobs and it could involve a responsible multi-year approach to restoring doctors’ pay.”
He continued,
“The tone of the conversations we had at the eleventh hour before these strikes were cause for optimism that the government is finally understanding the frustrations of resident doctors in England. We are going into the New Year with a renewed can-do spirit and we hope Mr Streeting will do the same.”
What concerns did Wes Streeting raise as the NHS strike ended?
Wes Streeting confirmed plans to end the dispute with the BMA after the strike and highlighted his concern about NHS operations in the immediate post-strike period.
He said,
“The period that worries me … is the post-strike period when we have to try and recover the service. That now falls at a time of year which is the NHS’s busiest.”
The Health Secretary said the combination of strike action and flu posed the most significant threat to the NHS during his tenure.
Mr Streeting praised NHS staff for maintaining services during an “exceptionally challenging” month, saying they had made a real difference.
He continued,
“I do not want to see a single day of industrial action in the NHS in 2026 and will be doing everything I can to make this a reality. My door remains open, as it always has done, and I’m determined to resume discussions with the BMA in the New Year to put an end to these damaging cycles of disruption.”
How did Keir Starmer respond to the BMA walkout?
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the doctors’ strike as “irresponsible,” saying he was “very gutted” by their decision and calling on BMA members to challenge the union.
The Labour leader said,
“It’s irresponsible at any time, particularly at the moment. It comes on the back of a very substantial pay increase in the last year or so. There’s a deal that we’ve put on the table that could have been taken forward, and so I think it’s irresponsible action by the BMA, and not for the first time.”
Mr Starmer said he believes resident doctors have lost public and NHS staff support over the strike.
The Prime Minister added,
“I’d appeal to the doctors themselves to push back against the BMA. In relation to this, they are losing ground in terms of the sympathy they might otherwise have had for the difficult job that they do.”
How are resident doctors fighting to reverse 20% pay erosion since 2008?
The British Medical Association argues that resident doctors’ pay in England is about 20% lower in real terms than it was in 2008, even after recent raises. Their target is to reverse this “pay erosion” over several years.
Before the strike deadline, the government offered a 5.4% pay increase for 2025 and promised to create more specialist training posts. However, resident doctors rejected this, stating it offered “no credible plan” to restore their pay.
The current basic salary ranges for resident doctors in England 2025 are:
- Foundation Year 1 (FY1): £38,831
- Foundation Year 2 (FY2): £44,439
- Core/Specialty Training (CT/ST 1-2): £52,656
- Core/Specialty Training (CT/ST 3-5): £65,048
- Senior Specialty Training (ST6-8): £73,992