UK Junior Doctors Launch Five-Day Strike Amid Fierce Dispute Over Pay
Tens of thousands of junior doctors across England have begun a five-day strike, escalating a long-running standoff over pay between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government — despite last-minute appeals from senior politicians.
At 7 a.m. Friday morning, as many as 50,000 resident doctors walked off the job in what is now one of the longest coordinated strike actions in NHS history. The strike is set to continue until Wednesday, July 30 at 7 a.m.
While GP surgeries remain open and emergency services such as A&E departments and urgent care are still operating, NHS England has urged the public to only seek care when absolutely necessary and to expect delays across non-urgent services.
“This course of action will mean everyone loses,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer, writing in The Times just hours before the strike began. “Our NHS and your patients need you. Do not follow the BMA leadership down this damaging road.”
Starmer’s appeal followed weeks of tension between NHS officials and the BMA’s Resident Doctors Committee, which argues that junior doctors have suffered a real-terms pay cut of over 25% since 2008, and are demanding a 29% pay increase to restore their salaries to pre-financial crisis levels.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has strongly criticized the strike, describing it as “unprecedented and unreasonable,” especially after junior doctors received a 22% pay uplift covering 2023–2025, a deal reached under the Labour government.
In a Guardian op-ed on Thursday, Streeting warned that the BMA’s refusal to call off strike action undermines broader trade union credibility:
“This industrial action enormously undermines the entire trade union movement. I cannot in good faith offer more public money beyond the settlement already agreed.”
Streeting also sent a personal letter to striking doctors, expressing regret over the breakdown in negotiations. While ruling out a further pay rise, he pledged efforts to improve working conditions and support training reforms.
The BMA has pushed back hard, accusing the government of backtracking on commitments and failing to respect the value of doctors’ work. It took out full-page ads in national newspapers this week to highlight what it calls a shocking pay disparity.
“A newly qualified doctor earns just £18.62 per hour, while their non-medically qualified assistant can take home over £24 per hour,” one advert reads.
The ongoing conflict underscores the broader strain on the National Health Service, which has faced staff shortages, rising demand, and post-COVID exhaustion. With nurses, consultants, and now junior doctors staging walkouts over the past year, the Labour government faces mounting pressure to stabilize relations with NHS staff.
The strikes come amid heightened public anxiety, though polling shows divided opinions: while some sympathize with doctors’ demands, others fear prolonged disruption to patient care. Negotiations remain at a standstill.
