Resident doctors in England have voted to accept a government pay and conditions offer, bringing a close to three years of industrial action that saw hundreds of thousands of patient appointments cancelled.
In a referendum that closed on 28 June, 53% of eligible British Medical Association members backed the deal, with a turnout of 57%. Some 32,932 doctors cast their votes.
“Resident doctors in England vote to end three-year strikes, accepting a pay deal with 3.5% rise.”
The package includes a 3.5% pay rise for this year — in line with recommendations from the independent review body — with backdated pay to 1 April 2026, giving an average increase of 4.9% under the wider settlement. The pay rise is set to grow to an average 6.6% by April 2027, with further increases to follow, the union said.
Starting salaries will be just over £40,000, while the most senior resident doctors will earn £76,500 in basic pay, with additional thousands available for working unsocial hours or extra shifts. The deal also promises 4,500 extra training places for newly qualified doctors and coverage of exam fees.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said: “These strikes did not need to happen. We spent far too long at loggerheads with the government when a solution in everyone’s interest was waiting for us: more jobs for doctors, better pay for doctors, and a better-staffed NHS secured for patients well into the future.”
Health and Social Care Secretary James Murray said drawing a line under the disruption was good news for resident doctors, patients and the NHS as a whole.
Resident doctors — formerly known as junior doctors until September 2024, when the government agreed to change the title to better reflect their expertise — are qualified doctors who have completed a medical degree. They make up nearly half of all doctors in England and work across the NHS, including in A&E and GP surgeries. After their initial degree and mandatory two years of post-graduate foundation training, many choose to specialise.
The end of the dispute in England contrasts with the situation in other parts of the UK. In Wales, resident doctors are currently resolving disputes without going on strike. In Scotland, they have accepted the government’s pay offer. In Northern Ireland, however, resident doctors are holding a 24-hour strike beginning at 07:00 BST on 29 June.