Starmer tells resident doctors to cancel 'reckless' strikes or face losing jobs deal

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Resident doctors, once known as junior doctors, are set to strike for six days in a walk-out organised by the British Medical Association (BMA) as the union battles for “full pay restoration” to 2008 levels.

The strike action falls after the Easter bank holiday weekend and marks the 15th round of action in three years.

Sir Keir has urged resident doctors to reconsider, branding the walk-out “completely avoidable”.

The Prime Minister warned that pressing ahead means “resident doctors are left with less, the NHS is weakened, and patients pay the price”.

In a stark ultimatum, he said he would withdraw an offer to provide at least 4,000 new speciality training posts if the strikes go ahead.

The BMA argues inflation sparked by Donald Trump and Israel’s war in Iran has meant they require the pay rise, which amounts to a 26 per cent increase.

Read more: Most junior doctors 'do not back strike' as Streeting slams 'out of touch' BMA as walkout begins

Read more: Hundreds of doctor's union staff walk out on strike in pay dispute

The union has already rejected an offer from Health Secretary Wes Streeting of a 7.1 per cent increase for this year.

This would have meant the most-experienced resident doctors would have been earning over £100,000.

Sir Keir wrote in The Times: “Walking away from this deal is the wrong decision.

“It is a reckless decision. And doing so without even giving resident doctors themselves the chance to vote on it makes it even worse...

“There are still 48 hours left to choose a better path. For patients, the NHS, and our doctors: I urge you to take it.”

Last week, the BMA said it had been “negotiating in good faith for weeks” and had been making progress before accusing the Government of beginning to “shift the goalposts”.

BMA Resident Doctors Committee chairman Jack Fletcher said: “We have been negotiating in good faith for weeks to try and end the simultaneous pay and jobs crises for resident doctors.

“Frustratingly, we had been making good progress right up until the point, in the last two weeks, when the Government began to shift the goalposts.

“As talks progressed, it became clear that the money proposed for pay increases was now going to be spread over three years.

“This is combined with today’s pay review body (DDRB) recommendation of a 3.5 per cent uplift, pointing to yet more years in which our pay, at best, barely treads water.

“We have made abundantly clear throughout this dispute that our aim is pay restoration, and any deal that did not move us substantially in that direction was not going to fly.”

In a letter to medics, the Health Secretary last week shared the full details of an offer he put to the union.

He also reiterated his deadline of Thursday April 2 to reconsider the walk-out.

According to Mr Streeting, the offer was developed in partnership with the BMA and the resident doctors committee officer team over the last three months.

It includes a 4.9 per cent increase in average basic pay from 2026 to 2027, which the Health Secretary said would leave resident doctors 35.2 per cent better off than four years ago.

Wages for the lowest paid, newly qualified medics would have risen by at least 6.2 per cent and 7.1 per cent, with basic pay for a new full-time doctor in their first paid year of training after medical school at £41,226.

The letter highlighted that the starting wage for new graduates would also have been almost £12,000 higher than in 2022/23.

For the most experienced resident doctors, basic pay would have increased to £77,348, and could top £100,000 if additional hours are taken into account.

The offer also pledged up to 4,500 new specialty training posts over the next three years, mandatory royal college exam fees reimbursed, contract reforms and reforms to the pay structure to ensure more opportunities for wage rises.

Mr Streeting wrote: “I know that trust has been strained and that many of you feel undervalued.

“I have listened carefully to that message, and this is the most comprehensive offer I can make.”

If the BMA misses the deadline of April 2, Mr Streeting told MPs on Thursday that minimising the disruption of the strike will “consume the money set aside for this deal”.

He also said that the Government was “planning on the basis of a prolonged conflict” in Iran, and as a result will not be able to offer more to resident doctors in a future deal.

Some experts estimate the six-day spell of industrial action could cost the NHS £300 million.