Streeting urges doctors to reject strike action in NHS ballot

HEALTH SECRETARY Wes Streeting has called on doctors in England to vote no in a ballot on industrial action that starts on Tuesday.

In a BBC interview, he urged resident doctors to work with the government and warned that strikes would hamper NHS progress.

Streeting said it was in no-one's interests for strikes to take place. Last week, it was announced that resident doctors would receive a 5.4 per cent average pay rise this year, higher than other doctors, nurses and teachers. Resident doctors said this was not enough to cover below-inflation pay awards since 2008.

The union is urging members to vote for industrial action, with BBC sources saying strikes were the likely action.

This year's pay rise follows a 22 per cent rise over the previous two years.

The government said the starting salary for a doctor fresh out of university had risen by £9,500 over three years to around £38,800.

BMA co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said: "We are urging doctors to vote yes to strike action. By voting yes they will be telling the government there is no alternative to fixing pay."

The ballot runs until 7 July.