Wes Streeting offers to meet BMA early next week to avert further strikes
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has offered to meet the resident doctors committee of the British Medical Association (BMA) early next week in a bid to avert further strikes.
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In a letter to the BMA he wrote: "The consequences of your strike action have been a detrimental impact on patients, your members, your colleagues and the NHS, which might have been worse were it not for the considerable efforts of NHS leaders and frontline staff who stepped up.
"Your action has also been self-defeating, because you have squandered the considerable goodwill you had with me and this Government.
"I cannot in good conscience let patients, or other NHS staff, pay the price for the costs of your decision."
His letter has been shared as the five-day walkout by resident doctors came to an end on Wednesday morning.
Fewer patients were affected by the walkout compared with previous strikes, officials have said, after hospitals were ordered to press ahead with as much pre-planned care as possible.
Hospital leaders said that fewer resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, took to picket lines compared with previous walkouts.
"I came into office hoping to reset the relationship between government and the resident doctor profession," Streeting added.
"I have been clear that while we cannot move on pay, this Government is prepared to negotiate on areas related to your conditions at work, career progression and tangible measures which would put money in your members’ pockets.
"My door remains open to the hope that we can still build the partnership with resident doctors I aspired to when I came in a year ago and, in that spirit, I am happy to meet with you early next week."
Read more: Resident doctors warn of further strikes as five-day NHS walkout ends
BMA leaders have insisted that there must be some pay discussions during talks.
The association has also launched a "linked dispute" with the Government over a lack of places for doctors in training, which could lead to common ground during future talks.
NHS officials have said cancelled bookings would be rescheduled within two weeks but warned of knock-on impacts for other patients.
On X, the BMA posted about a number of derogation requests made by hospitals – which occur when hospitals call for striking doctors to return to work from picket lines amid concerns about patient safety.
In some cases, striking doctors were permitted to return to work but in some cases the requests were "revoked."
Rory Deighton, from the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS organisations, said: "Many patients will not have experienced any disruption whatsoever to their care and that is thanks to the NHS doing its best to keep the show on the road.
"It is welcome to hear from members that in many places fewer resident doctors have gone on strike and the impact has been less severe than previous walkouts.
"This does not take away from the frustration and inconvenience of patients who have had their vital care delayed and are now facing even longer waits in pain and discomfort."