Posted By :  Admin1

England’s resident doctors, who work in hospitals under consultant supervision, have announced a five‑day strike starting at 7 am on July 25 and ending at 7 am on July 30. The British Medical Association (BMA) says this action is a last resort after recent talks with Health Secretary Wes Streeting failed to address their core demand: restoring lost pay. The BMA argues that years of inflation have left doctors significantly worse off compared to 2008 levels.

The vote to strike was strong, with about 90 percent in favour amid a 55 percent turnout. BMA leaders Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt stated that they had tried to avoid industrial action by opening pay discussions. However, since the government refused to renegotiate pay — focusing instead on other working conditions without concrete proposals — doctors felt they had no other option. The BMA has given the government two weeks to come back to the table or expect the strike to go ahead.

The government, through Mr Streeting, responded by warning the public would not forgive a strike and reaffirmed that the current offer of a 5.4 percent rise was the largest in the public sector this year. Officials also highlighted that doctors received a 22 percent rise over the past two years, and said no further increases are possible under current budget limits . NHS leaders have raised concerns that the strike could disrupt appointments and operations, and might encourage other health staff to take industrial action too.