Health Secretary Wes Streeting warns against doctors' strike action as he vows to fix 'broken NHS'
28 May 2025, 23:42 | Updated: 29 May 2025, 00:02
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has urged NHS doctors not to go on strike, arguing it would "choke" the health services if they pressed ahead with industrial action.
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The British Medical Association (BMA) - the union representing doctors, has demanded a 29% pay increase this year for resident doctors (formerly known as junior doctors).
It has argued a 4% pay rise following the latest review of public sector pay does not go far enough in restoring historical pay freezes - despite the fact resident doctors are set to receive an extra £750 on top of the uplift.
It is balloting around 50,000 doctors for six months of industrial action which would last until next January.
Mr Streeting has urged doctors to “vote no” - warning the BMA he will not budge on their plea.
He told them they have now lost the public's support given the government has already increased their pay by more than inflation by an average of 5.4% for resident doctors.
"Patients are now opposed to strike action," he wrote in The Times.
He added: "Following the significant pay rises delivered over the past ten months, they can see that this government is committed to a fair deal for NHS staff.
"Nor do patients want to see the green shoots of recovery choked off by strike action. I hope resident doctors agree with them and vote no in their ballot."
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Resident doctors have seen an average rise of 28.9% over three years - with the average starting salary for a full-time resident doctor now set to reach £38,800.
That's up from around £29,380 in 2022/2023 and an annual increase of £9,500, Mr Streeting pointed out.
He argued these "pay awards are a continuation of a collaborative approach that we’ve fostered over the last ten months".
Mr Streeting added: "There’s so much more to do. But my message to anyone working in the health service is this: Stick with us. The NHS was broken, but it’s not beaten. If we keep pulling together, we can turn it around."
Resident doctors in England starting receiving ballots for strike action on Tuesday, the BMA said.
The ballot closes on July 7, and if doctors vote for action then a mandate would last between July and January next year.
Co-chairs of the resident doctors committee urged doctors to vote for strike action, but said the door remains open for the Government to come through with a solution.
Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said: “Patients are all too aware how much the NHS relies on its resident doctors. With the announcement of yesterday’s ballot, many will understandably be concerned about how future strike action might affect them getting care but it is important to stress that strike action is not inevitable and can be avoided.
“The government has the power to honour its previous commitment to map out and restore doctors’ pay [to 2008 levels], avoiding strikes entirely.
“Wes Streeting must now step forward with a solution that allows us to stay with our patients, off the picket lines, and remain in this country rather than being driven to seek work abroad where doctors’ unique skills and expertise are more appropriately valued.”
