The Resident Doctors Committee has urged the government to act immediately to prevent further strikes taking place in coming months
The Resident Doctors Committee has urged the government to act immediately to prevent further strikes taking place in coming months
Resident doctors in England have overwhelmingly voted to continue industrial action as they fight for improved pay and more training positions. The resident doctors committee has warned “this is not a problem the government can wait out”, as “thousands more training posts” are desperately needed to address health services shortages.
Some 93% (26,696) of British Medical Association (BMA) members voted in favour of continuing the dispute, with a total voter turnout of 53%. Only 1,885 members voted against further strikes.
Resident Doctors Committee (RDC) chair Dr Jack Fletcher said: “This is not a problem the government can wait out. Ministers cannot be shocked that 93% of doctors have voted to strike after being recommended a pay cut this year by the same Health Secretary who promised a journey to fair pay.
“And without thousands more training posts, the bottlenecks in medical training are going to continue to rob brilliant young doctors of their careers. Doctors have today clearly said that is not acceptable.
“None of this needs to mean more strikes. In recent weeks the government has shown an improved approach in tone compared with the name-calling we saw late last year. A deal is there to be done: a new jobs package and an offer raising pay fairly over several years can be worked out through good will on both sides, in the interests of patients, staff and the whole NHS.
“And now that the mandate for strike action is confirmed for six months, the government has nowhere to run and no means of running out the clock. With no choice but to get a deal, we hope that means a responsible approach from the Health Secretary and a timely settlement with no further need for strikes.”
Resident doctors (also known as junior doctors) across the country embarked on five days of strike action in December. Picket lines were set-up outside Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
The BMA called for a 26% pay uplift to restore resident doctors’ earnings, which they argued had been significantly eroded by inflation. But government claimed its 29% pay settlement with resident doctors over the last three years was one of the largest in the public sector, and was meant to resolve two years of walkouts.
Following the results of the recent vote, which took place yesterday, Monday, February 2, the RDC has urged the government to act immediately to prevent further strikes taking place.
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The government has been in intensive and constructive discussions with the BMA since the start of the new year to try and bring an end to the damaging cycle of strikes and avoid further unnecessary disruption for patients and NHS staff.
“We hope that these talks result in an agreement that works for everyone, so that there is not any more strike action by resident doctors in 2026.”
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