Negotiations had been ongoing between doctors’ union the BMA and Health Secretary Wes Streeting over pay and non-pay issues such as student debt and career progression.
Streeting said the BMA had “recklessly and needlessly opted for strike action”.
Up to 50,000 resident doctors – formerly known as junior doctors – are expected to walk out in what will be the 12th strike since March last year.
“We came to talks in good faith, keen to explore real solutions to the problems facing resident doctors today. Unfortunately, we did not receive an offer that would meet the scale of those challenges.”
They also want changes on non-pay issues such as the cost of mandatory exam fees, a student loan forgiveness scheme for doctors – who can accrue debts of up to £100,000 during university – and a means of speeding up career progression.
Wes Streeting accused the BMA of ‘recklessly and needlessly’ opting to strike (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty) Images)“After a 28.9% pay hike in the last three years and the highest pay rise in the public sector two years in a row, strike action is completely unjustified, completely unprecedented in the history of British trade unionism and shows a complete disdain for patients and the wider recovery of the NHS.”
How will NHS services be affected, and what is the advice for patients?
It said it had asked hospital chief executives to keep routine operations going to the fullest extent possible during the industrial action and only reschedule appointments and other activity in exceptional circumstances to safeguard patient safety.
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Primary, urgent and emergency care services will continue to be available and the public should use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent but not life-threatening issues during industrial action.
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England’s national medical director, said: “There is no doubt this industrial action will take a toll on patients and NHS staff, and it is disappointing it is going ahead.
“The public should dial 999 in an emergency, and otherwise use 111 online, your local pharmacist or GP, and patients should attend NHS appointments unless told otherwise.”
Junior doctors became known as resident doctors from 2024 (Photo: sturti/ Getty)Why are junior doctors now called resident doctors?
The change in title came after the junior doctors conference voted to abolish the term “junior doctor” in April 2023 on the grounds it implies doctors at this level are students, apprentices and not fully qualified.
A survey of all junior doctor members in the UK in February 2024 approved the change to “resident” doctor.
The term is already used in the US, Canada, the Philippines, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Spain and Australia.
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