Resident Doctors Strike Inflicts Misery on the NHS During Escalating Pay Dispute
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
The instability gripping the national health service intensified this week as resident doctors in England began their 13th five-day Resident Doctors Strike, set to run until Wednesday morning. The industrial action has drawn furious political backlash, marking an escalation in the protracted NHS Pay Dispute.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting launched what has been described as arguably his strongest attack yet on the British Medical Association (BMA). Streeting stated that the recurring strikes are "inflicting pain and misery" on patients and described the walkout as "reckless action" that could harm those needing care. Addressing a conference of health managers, he called the BMA "morally reprehensible" and accused the doctors' union of acting "like a cartel," attempting to hold the government and the public "to ransom".
Streeting emphasized that doctors have received "generous pay rises over the past three years," increases worth nearly 30%, which brought average basic salaries to just over £54,000.
However, the BMA remains unyielding, stating that, despite recent pay bumps, resident doctors' pay is still "a fifth down on the value that it had in 2008" when inflation is taken into account. Dr. Tom Dolphin, BMA council chairman, confirmed the union had "reached an impasse" with the government. Dr. Emma Runswick, deputy chair of the BMA Council, noted that restoration of pay is essential, especially given the "big difference" in what doctors can earn in the UK compared to countries like Ireland, Australia, and Canada, where salaries can sometimes be double.
Beyond the pay issue, the BMA is demanding a solution to the "jobs crisis," citing that thousands of doctors are unable to secure training posts necessary to become specialists and GPs.
The cost of this ongoing dispute is staggering. The NHS estimates this five-day walkout alone is costing £240 million to cover services, while the previous strike in July was estimated to cost £300 million. NHS Providers and the NHS Confederation, representing health trusts, warned that continued industrial action is putting pressure on constrained budgets. They explicitly cautioned that continued high costs could force NHS leaders to "cut staff or reduce service levels" and hinder progress in bringing down lengthy waiting lists.
For patients, the impact is personal. Colette Houlihan, 68, whose pre-surgery appointment for a benign neck tumour was pushed back to late December, said she was "furious". Ms. Houlihan felt that by striking, the doctors "ignore the Hippocratic Oath" and cause chaos by delaying procedures and taking senior doctors from their posts.
While NHS England is working hard to limit disruption and maintain 95% of non-urgent work by re-deploying senior staff, BMA leaders are reminding members they have a legal right to strike and will only leave the picket line for a major emergency.
Meanwhile, the unrest is spreading; resident doctors in Scotland are balloting for strike action after BMA Scotland claimed ministers reneged on a pay agreement. If successful, it would mark the first major NHS staff walkout in Scotland.
The combination of the strong BMA Cartel Accusation and the union's focus on retaining staff through pay restoration means that a pathway to resolution in the NHS Pay Dispute remains elusive, leaving the health service limping toward a challenging winter.
🔖 Sources
Keywords: Resident Doctors Strike
Resident Doctors Strike
Comments