Doctors lose new jobs package as strike to go ahead

The UK government has abandoned its proposal to create 1,000 additional doctor training positions in England after the British Medical Association (BMA) declined to halt a planned six-day strike. The offer was part of broader measures introduced earlier this year to address tensions with resident doctors, who were previously referred to as junior doctors. Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave the union a 48-hour ultimatum on Tuesday evening to cancel the walkout, or risk losing the package.

The strike was initiated last week following the collapse of negotiations on pay and staffing shortages. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care stated that the training posts were no longer feasible to implement before this year’s recruitment cycle. “These posts would have launched this month, but with strikes and increased uncertainty, it’s operationally and financially unviable to launch them in time,” they explained.

“It is genuinely disheartening to be at this point after what had been constructive talks up until a few weeks ago when the government moved the goalposts,” said Dr. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctor committee. “It is simply wrong that the development of future doctors is being used as a pawn like this.”

The government had previously promised to cover certain costs, such as exam fees, and to accelerate pay increases. However, the BMA ended discussions, criticizing the deal for being diluted at the last minute, particularly its pay progression component. The union also noted the government’s acceptance of the independent pay review body’s recommendation for a 3.5% raise for all doctors, effective this month.

“This is a crushing blow,” the BMA remarked, highlighting that inflation, driven by the Iran conflict, is expected to rise further. “While the pay rise means resident doctors’ salaries have increased by a third in four years, they remain a fifth lower than in 2008 when adjusted for inflation.”

The training posts, intended for doctors entering specialization after their initial two years of training, were meant to replace temporary positions. With 30,000 applicants vying for just 10,000 roles last summer, the strike will mark the joint longest since the dispute began—only once before have resident doctors participated in a six-day walkout. This will be the 15th strike since the conflict erupted in March 2023. Resident doctors account for nearly half of all medical professionals in the NHS, with two-thirds being BMA members.