England Resident Doctors Suspend Four-Day Strike After Government Pay Offer

Resident doctors in England have called off a planned four-day strike after the government tabled a fresh pay offer. The British Medical Association had been due to begin the walkout at 7am on Monday, which would have been the 16th round of strikes by resident doctors since 2023. The walkout was suspended after a breakthrough in talks between the government and union leaders.

Health Secretary James Murray welcomed the decision. "It is a positive and welcome development, especially for patients, that the BMA have called off these unnecessary strikes," he said. The proposed deal covers pay, career progression and working conditions.

It will be put to a ballot of BMA members in the coming weeks. 6 per cent by next April. The package also includes accelerated progression through pay scales, funding for examination fees and the creation of 4,500 additional training posts for newly qualified doctors.

Mr Murray said the agreement demonstrated that ministers were willing to work constructively with doctors and unions to improve conditions across the health service. 9 per cent increase over three years, the country could not afford larger pay rises this year. Dr Jack Fletcher, BMA resident doctors committee chairman, said the breakthrough had come later than it should have.

"This should not have been left to the last moment, but we hold up our end of the bargain when the Government shifts its position," he said. " NHS England said around 95 per cent of planned operations and appointments will go ahead. Thousands of procedures had already been postponed ahead of the proposed industrial action.

The BMA has argued that doctors' real-terms pay remains around 20 per cent lower than it was in 2008 when adjusted for inflation. 5 million NHS appointments and procedures have been rescheduled. Sir Ciarán Devane, chief executive of the NHS Alliance, said the decision represented an opportunity to reset relations between ministers and doctors.