Resident doctors across England have decisively voted to proceed with a major strike this week, rejecting a last-minute government offer that they say fails to tackle the core issues driving medics away from the National Health Service.
A 'Shuffling of Deckchairs' on a Sinking Ship
The British Medical Association's UK resident doctors committee, chaired by acute medicine doctor Dr Jack Fletcher, confirmed the industrial action will go ahead. The move follows the health secretary's proposal, which doctors argue does little to solve the underlying crisis. The plan to increase specialty training posts from 1,000 to 4,000 over three years is criticised as merely repurposing existing 'locally employed doctors' rather than creating genuine new capacity.
"It will not mean more doctors on the shop floor of our A&E departments – it's just shuffling the deck chairs on a sinking ship," said Dr Fletcher. The scale of the problem is stark: this year, an estimated 40,000 doctors will apply for only about 10,000 specialty training places. This bottleneck means thousands of fully trained clinicians are being denied the opportunity to progress and care for patients within the NHS system.
Patient Care Suffering Amid Political Choices
The consequences of these shortages are already being felt by patients nationwide. In regions like the north-east, where Dr Fletcher works, some lifesaving treatments are reportedly only available during standard office hours due to a lack of specialists. Accident and Emergency departments remain chronically overwhelmed, yet the NHS continues to turn away aspiring emergency medicine doctors because of insufficient training places.
"These problems are the result of political choices, and they are unravelling in real time," the BMA chair stated. Alongside the jobs crisis, resident doctors have endured a significant real-terms pay cut over more than a decade. The union had sought a fair, multi-year process to begin repairing this loss but noted the government's latest offer contained nothing on pay. Furthermore, the government is poised to impose another below-inflation pay uplift in early 2026, effectively continuing the pay cut.
Disrespectful Rhetoric and a Path Forward
Adding to the frustration is the recent rhetoric from Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who accused the doctors' union of "juvenile delinquency." This language has been condemned as deeply disrespectful to the professionals who will be holding services together during the peak flu season and over the busy festive period.
Dr Fletcher emphasised that accepting the current offer would lock in further decline, more job shortages, and continued pay erosion that pushes doctors out of the profession. However, he stated a constructive way forward remains possible. The government can still work with the BMA to develop an evidence-based workforce plan, create the necessary training posts, and enter serious pay negotiations to retain doctors.
"I remain ready to negotiate and to call strike action off," Dr Fletcher concluded. "But we need the secretary of state to recognise the reality we're in, to treat the profession with respect, and work with us towards a credible deal – even at this late hour." The strike action is scheduled to proceed from 14 November 2025, with doctors picketing outside hospitals including St Thomas's Hospital in London.
