UK Resident Doctors Begin Five-Day Nationwide Strike as Pay Dispute Escalates

Resident doctors across England commenced a five-day strike on Friday at 07:00 GMT, marking the 13th walkout by this category of medics since March 2023. The action involves doctors below consultant level, who make up a substantial portion of the hospital workforce and are essential to routine and emergency clinical operations.

Hospitals are preparing for significant disruption, with NHS England confirming that appointments and non-urgent procedures will be affected throughout the strike period. Patients have been advised that emergency and critical care services will continue, but waiting times may increase in some areas as services are reorganised to compensate for reduced staffing.

The British Medical Association argues that resident doctors have experienced long-term pay erosion, stating that current earnings have fallen in real value compared to levels from nearly 20 years ago. The union also highlights a serious shortage of training positions required for career progression. In recent recruitment cycles, around 30,000 applicants have competed for roughly 10,000 specialty training posts, leaving many qualified doctors unable to advance toward consultant roles.

The government has rejected further pay negotiations, insisting that resident doctors have already received a cumulative pay rise of nearly 29% over the past three years—an increase officials say is the highest awarded within the public sector during the same period. Ministers maintain that additional pay adjustments cannot be offered and argue that meeting the union’s demands would trigger wider pressures across other public-sector professions.

This latest strike adds to the wave of industrial actions seen across the UK in recent years, involving teachers, nurses, ambulance staff, and other frontline workers responding to the rising cost of living and concerns about workplace conditions. Government and union representatives have not reached any new agreements, leaving the dispute unresolved as the five-day walkout begins.

NHS England continues to monitor service impact and has urged the public to seek urgent care when necessary while remaining aware of potential delays in routine services.