Thousands of doctors in England went on strike on Friday, marking the 13th walkout by medical staff since March 2023. The five-day strike, beginning at 0700 GMT, involves resident doctors—those below consultant level—who make up roughly half of hospital medical staff.
The walkout comes amid disputes over pay and the availability of training posts, with the British Medical Association (BMA) arguing that doctors need a 26% pay increase to restore their earnings to the real value they held two decades ago. The union is also demanding more training positions to allow doctors to progress toward consultancy roles. Currently, more than 30,000 applicants compete for just 10,000 training posts, leaving many without permanent positions despite years of training.
The strike was criticised by the UK Labour government’s health minister, Wes Streeting, who said the union leadership was “choosing confrontation over care” and described the action as political posturing. He highlighted that doctors have received a 28.9% pay increase over the last three years, the largest across the public sector during that period.
The industrial action comes amid a prolonged cost-of-living crisis in the UK, which has triggered strikes among teachers, nurses, ambulance workers, lawyers, train staff, and border personnel over the past three and a half years.
Doctors picketed hospitals, including St Thomas’ in central London, holding placards as they pressed their demands for fair pay and career advancement opportunities.
The government and union are expected to enter negotiations to seek a resolution during the ongoing strike.
