UK Resident doctors in England have called off a planned five-day strike after reaching a last-minute agreement with the government, bringing relief to patients and the National Health Service (NHS).
The industrial action, which was scheduled to begin on Monday and run until Friday, would have been the 16th strike in a long-running dispute over doctors’ pay and working conditions.
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The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents resident doctors, said the government made a new offer that will now be presented to members for a vote. The union described the development as a positive step after days of intensive negotiations.
Health Secretary James Murray welcomed the decision, saying it offered an opportunity to move beyond years of disruption caused by repeated industrial action.
“This is a positive and welcome development, especially for patients,” Murray said, adding that the government and doctors now have a chance to rebuild trust and focus on improving healthcare services.
Although details of the offer have not been fully disclosed, government sources said it does not include additional pay increases for this year. Instead, it proposes faster pay progression in the coming years, along with improvements to training and career development.
The package reportedly includes 4,500 additional training places for newly qualified doctors and government support to cover the cost of professional examinations.
Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, have received pay increases totaling about 33 per cent over the past four years, including a 3.5 per cent rise this year. Starting salaries now exceed £40,000 annually, while senior resident doctors earn more than £76,000 before additional payments for overtime and unsocial working hours.
However, the BMA maintains that doctors’ earnings remain significantly lower in real terms than they were in 2008 when adjusted for inflation.
BMA Resident Doctors Committee Chairman, Dr. Jack Fletcher, said the union had always been willing to cancel the strike if a reasonable offer was made.
“We made it clear that industrial action could be avoided if the government presented an offer worth consulting our members on,” he said.
Despite the strike’s cancellation, some disruption to patient care is expected as hospitals had already postponed thousands of appointments and procedures in preparation for the walkout.
NHS leaders welcomed the breakthrough, expressing hope that both sides can now reach a lasting agreement. The BMA has organised several strikes since 2023 as part of its campaign for improved pay and working conditions.
The latest development raises hopes that one of the NHS’s most prolonged labour disputes could finally be nearing an end.
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