HOSPITALS in England are working to recover from disruption caused by five days of doctor strikes, as resident doctors returned to work following a walkout over pay disputes.
Thousands of elective and outpatient appointments were cancelled during the strike, with senior doctors redeployed to cover emergency and urgent care. The NHS Confederation said the full impact on patients is still being assessed, reported by the BBC.
The strike went ahead amid rising flu cases and despite last-minute talks between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government. BMA members rejected a government offer aimed at addressing training and job security.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he wants to see an end to the dispute by the new year. Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the resident doctors committee at the BMA, said the union was keen to hold talks.
He said: “2026 must see less name-calling and more deal-making. What we need is a proper fix to this jobs crisis and a credible path towards restoring the lost value of the profession.
“That must mean the creation of genuinely new jobs and it could involve a responsible multi-year approach to restoring doctors' pay.”
The BMA said 65 per cent of its members took part in what was the 14th strike since March 2023. The union has said resident doctors’ pay is about a fifth lower than in 2008 due to inflation, despite an average pay rise of 5.4 per cent this year.
Streeting said the BMA was “demanding an extra 26% on top of what we've already given”, adding: “That is not a figure that we can afford but we will get around the table with them again in the new year.”
Health experts have warned the effects of the strike will extend into the new year. Louise Stead, group chief executive of Ashford and St Peter's and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trusts, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme hospitals were working to discharge patients safely ahead of Christmas.
