Resident doctors in England are primed to go on strike next week after a deadline set by the prime minister arrived without a deal agreed.
Sir Keir Starmer issued an ultimatum on Tuesday, saying the government would withdraw its offer of thousands of NHS jobs, extra training places, and pay reforms if the walkout wasn’t called off within 48 hours.
With no agreement reached, the medics – formerly known as junior doctors – will strike for six days from 7 April.
The British Medical Association’s (BMA) resident doctors’ committee has maintained the government’s pay rise offer does not go far enough to deal with the cost of living.
Sir Keir has pointed out the 3.5% proposal is above inflation and would take their total raise over three years to 35%.
Writing in The Times earlier this week, he said strikes would be “reckless” and damage the NHS.
But the committee’s chair, Dr Jack Fletcher, said the government’s approach was “extremely disappointing”.
Using the offer of more training places as a “pawn” in negotiations was “simply wrong”, he said.
“We have consistently maintained that we are willing to postpone industrial action should a genuinely credible offer be provided. This remains the case now, up to, and throughout any period of industrial action,” he added.
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A Department of Health and Care spokesperson maintained the deal on offer was “generous”.
“Because the BMA resident doctor committee has not agreed to call off these strikes and put an offer to members, we will now not be able to deliver the 1,000 extra training places which the BMA asked for,” they said.
“These posts would have gone live this month, but as systems now need to prepare for strikes and more uncertainty, it simply won’t be operationally or financially possible to launch these posts in April in time to recruit for this year.
“This won’t impact the overall number of resident doctors, and the NHS will be there for patients when they need it.”
They said attention must now turn towards protecting patients by minimising disruption during the walkout.
It will be the 15th round of strikes by resident doctors in England since 2023.
