Doctors in England Vote to Proceed with Five-Day Strike This Week

By John Pranay (Editor)

A five-day strike by resident doctors in England is set to begin on Wednesday, with the British Medical Association (BMA) voting to reject the government's latest offer to end the long-running pay and jobs dispute. The strike, which will run from 7am on Wednesday to 7am next Monday, has been described as "self-indulgent, irresponsible, and dangerous" by Health Secretary Wes Streeting. The BMA has dismissed the government's proposals as "too little, too late" to stop the strike going ahead. The strike will pose a significant challenge to hospitals, which are already grappling with the effects of the early arrival of the NHS's usual winter crisis, driven by a wave of virulent "super flu."

The dispute between the BMA and the government has been ongoing since March 2023, with resident doctors seeking a further increase of 26% over the next few years. The government has proposed a deal that would increase the number of training places to enable early-career doctors to start training in their chosen medical speciality, but not increase their pay for the current financial year. The BMA has rejected this offer, citing that it is "too little, too late" to stop the strike going ahead. The health secretary has accused the BMA of being "self-indulgent, irresponsible, and dangerous," while the BMA has accused the government of "fumbling" the talks.

This is the 14th strike staged by resident doctors since the dispute began in March 2023. The dispute has been ongoing for over two years, with the BMA seeking to restore the real-terms value of resident doctors' salaries, which have eroded since 2008-09. The BMA has argued that despite a 29% increase in salaries over the past three years, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

The strike is taking place at a time when the NHS is already under intense pressure, with a wave of virulent "super flu" driving the early arrival of the NHS's usual winter crisis. The flu cases in hospitals have risen by more than 50% in a week, with officials warning that there is still no sign of it peaking yet. The strike will pose a significant challenge to hospitals, which are already struggling to cope with the demands of the flu season. The dispute highlights the ongoing tensions between the BMA and the government, with both sides accusing each other of being "irresponsible" and "self-indulgent."

The strike could have significant humanitarian implications, with the potential to put patients' lives at risk. The BMA has stated that it is committed to ensuring patient safety, but the strike will still pose a challenge to hospitals, which are already struggling to cope with the demands of the flu season. The strike could also have financial implications, with the potential to cost the NHS millions of pounds in lost revenue. The BMA has argued that the strike is necessary to highlight the ongoing pay and jobs crisis in the NHS, but the government has accused the BMA of being "self-indulgent" and "irresponsible."

This strike highlights the ongoing tensions between the BMA and the government, with both sides accusing each other of being "irresponsible" and "self-indulgent." However, the strike also raises important questions about the value of public sector workers, particularly in the NHS. The BMA's demand for a 26% increase in pay over the next few years is not unreasonable, given the erosion of real-terms value of resident doctors' salaries since 2008-09. The government's refusal to negotiate on pay is also puzzling, given the significant increase in salaries over the past three years. This suggests that the government is more interested in maintaining its austerity agenda than in addressing the pay and jobs crisis in the NHS.

On balance, this event screens as Bearish in our sentiment view.

1. Doctors vote to go ahead with this week's five-day strike in England — https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c246dnyjylqo

2. Resident doctors' strike to go ahead this week after BMA rejects government offer — https://www.itv.com/news/2025-12-15/christmas-doctors-strikes-to-go-ahead-after-bma-reject-government-offer

3. Resident doctors in England vote to go ahead with strike — https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/15/resident-doctors-in-england-vote-to-go-ahead-with-strike

Methodology: This analysis combines real-time data aggregation from manually selected global sources with advanced AI synthesis, engineered to provide neutral and data-driven insights.