Resident doctors in England narrowly accept pay deal, ending three years of strikes

Resident doctors in England voted to accept a government offer on pay and jobs, ending three years of strikes. The British Medical Association reported that 53 percent of eligible members voted in favour in a referendum with 57 percent turnout among 32,932 doctors.

The package includes standard 2016 resident doctor contract terms for locally employed medics, an average 6.6 percent pay uplift fully implemented by April 2027, and 4,500 extra specialty training places over three years.

The deal also provides a 3.5 percent pay rise this year and backdated pay to 1 April 2026 worth an average 4.9 percent increase. Resident doctor pay will be 35.2 percent higher on average than four years ago, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

Starting salaries will exceed £40,000, with the most senior resident doctors receiving £76,500 in basic pay plus additional earnings for unsociable hours.

Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said: “Resident doctors have spoken. ” He added that the strikes did not need to happen and that a solution involving more jobs and better pay had been available. Health and Social Care Secretary James Murray said the outcome was good news for resident doctors, patients and the NHS, allowing focus on rebuilding the health service.

He noted that the deal provides a new pay structure, better career progression and improved conditions, but added that it marked the beginning rather than the end of the journey. The first strike occurred on 13 March 2023. A four-day walkout planned last month was cancelled after the offer was made.

Resident doctors make up nearly half of all doctors in England and work across the NHS including in A&E and GP surgeries. Resident doctors in Scotland have accepted the government’s pay offer. Those in Wales are resolving disputes without strikes.

In Northern Ireland, resident doctors begin a 24-hour strike at 07:00 BST on 29 June.