At 7am on Monday, hundreds of thousands of patients across England were bracing for another wave of cancelled appointments and operations. But just 36 hours earlier, the British Medical Association (BMA) called off the four-day strike after the government made a last-minute offer. Resident doctors—formerly known as junior doctors—have been locked in a dispute over pay and conditions since 2023, mounting 16 rounds of industrial action. The BMA represents these doctors, who are qualified physicians in training, from newly qualified to those with years of experience. The cancelled strike, which would have run from 15 to 19 June 2026, was suspended so that the new offer could be put to a member vote.
The dispute centres on pay. Resident doctors argue their salaries have fallen in real terms by a fifth since 2008 once inflation is taken into account. The government counters that they have already received a 28.9% pay rise over the last three years. Starting salaries now stand at just over £40,000, with the most senior resident doctors earning up to £76,500 in basic pay, plus extras for unsocial hours. The BMA says this is not enough to compensate for years of below-inflation rises and to attract and retain staff in an overstretched NHS.
“Why resident doctors have been striking and what the new government offer means.”
The new offer, announced on Saturday 13 June, includes an average 6.6% pay uplift to be fully implemented by April 2027, 4,500 extra training places for newly qualified doctors, and coverage of exam fees. For locally employed doctors, it also promises standard 2016 resident doctor contract terms. Health Secretary James Murray said there is no extra money for this year, but that the offer focuses on faster pay progression from next year. Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA's resident doctors committee, said the union had always been clear that no strikes needed to go ahead if an appropriate offer was made.
For patients, the cancellation is a relief but not without disruption. NHS England said 95% of operations and appointments would have gone ahead, but thousands were postponed and hospitals face a tough task rescheduling them. The dispute has wider implications for the UK: waiting lists, already long, could lengthen further if strikes resume. The BMA warns that if members reject the offer, they will plan “further escalated action across next month”.
Q: What exactly is in the new offer? The offer includes an average 6.6% pay uplift for resident doctors, to be phased in by April 2027. It also promises 4,500 extra training places, covers exam fees, and ensures standard 2016 contract terms for locally employed doctors. The government says no additional money is available for this year, but the deal accelerates future pay increases.
Q: Why have resident doctors been striking? They say their pay has eroded by about 20% in real terms since 2008, making it harder to recruit and retain doctors. The BMA argues that consecutive below-inflation pay rises have left them worse off, despite the government pointing to a 28.9% increase over three years. The strikes are also about working conditions, training opportunities, and job security.
Q: What happens if the BMA members vote to reject the offer? If the referendum says no, the BMA has warned it will continue with plans for further escalated strike action across next month. That could mean longer or more disruptive walkouts, putting more pressure on the NHS and patients.
What happens next is now in the hands of tens of thousands of frontline doctors who will vote in the coming weeks. The BMA has promised to negotiate in good faith, but stressed that strikes are a last resort. The government hopes the offer “draws a line” under the damaging disputes. For patients and the NHS, the coming weeks will be decisive.