Resident doctors say they will resume talks to avoid further strikes with ‘can-do spirit’ | NHS
Junior doctors said they would approach talks with Wes Streeting in a “can-do spirit” to avoid further strikes in the new year, as their five-day protest ended on Monday morning.
The British Medical Association called on the health secretary to come to the table in the same “constructive” manner, saying the tone of the 11th hour talks before talks were halted was encouraging but it was too late to avoid a strike in England.
Streeting also signaled his determination to return to talks, saying he “doesn’t want to see a single day of industrial action in the NHS in 2026” and “will do everything I can to make this a reality”.
“My door remains open, as always, and I am determined to continue discussions with the BMA in the new year to put an end to these damaging cycles of disruption,” he said.
Streeting and Keir Starmer took a hard line against the strike, with the prime minister saying it was “incredible” that it should go ahead at a time when the flu-hit NHS is facing its worst crisis since Covid.
Andrea Egan, who will take over as Unison’s new general secretary next year, said it was unacceptable for Streeting to say the strike was “morally reprehensible”. The health minister also accused the BMA of acting like a cartel.
But Streeting and the BMA appeared to be taking a more conciliatory tone as the five-day strike ended.
Talks between the government and the BMA have repeatedly failed in recent months, with Streeting reluctant to restart pay talks and doctors demanding “wages be brought back to 2008 levels in real terms”.
Streeting instead proposed a deal to create more training places to end the crisis of qualified doctors being unable to find work after graduation. However, this offer was rejected by BMA junior doctors, who voted to continue the strike from Wednesday until 7am on Monday last week.
Jack Fletcher, chairman of the junior doctors’ committee, called for “less name-calling and more deal-making” in 2026, saying: “What we need is a proper solution to this jobs crisis and a credible way to restore the lost value of the profession. This should mean the creation of genuine new jobs and could include a responsible multi-year approach to restoring doctors’ pay.”
“These are solutions that mean we can build our future workforce to end the current crisis, and they are solutions that are largely within the power of the government.”
He added: “Doctors are disappointed with the past year. There were many opportunities for strike action to be avoided, but the government often acted too little, too late.
“Nevertheless, the tone of our conversations at the 11th hour before these strikes has given rise to optimism that the government has finally understood the frustrations of junior doctors in England. We enter the new year with a renewed can-do spirit and hope Mr Streeting will do the same.”
Earlier the health secretary said the NHS was coping with the strike despite it falling during flu season, but he was concerned about the recovery process afterwards.
On Monday morning, Streeting said the “double whammy of strike action and flu this December poses the most serious threat to the NHS since the election”.
“The health service has only been able to cope thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the dedicated staff who work within it, and the toughest work will be in the coming weeks as we take the NHS through its busiest weeks of the year,” he said.
“To everyone who played a part in keeping NHS services running throughout this incredibly challenging month, thank you for the real difference you have made.”
