UK doctors return to work after five-day walkout
Doctors in England will return to work on Monday after a planned five-day strike over ongoing pay disputes.
The strike took place at a time when flu cases were increasing and Despite last minute negotiations Between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government. BMA members rejected the government’s new proposal aimed at solving problems related to education and job security.
Speaking to the British Medical Journal on Friday, BMA junior doctor leader DR Jack Fletcher said doctors were being lost to other countries “mainly because they would pay me more and treat me better”.
Health Minister Wes Streeting said he wanted to see the dispute over by the new year.
Assistant doctors, the new name of assistant doctors, called for urgent help from the government. “really long term plan” increasing wages and creating more training places for qualified doctors to specialize and advance their careers.
The doctors’ union said 65 percent of its members participated in the 14th strike since March 2023.
The doctors’ union argued that junior doctors’ salaries were still a fifth lower than in 2008 due to inflation. They received an average salary increase of 5.4% this year.
During a visit to a London ambulance station last week, Streeting said: “I want to put an end to this dispute.
“I don’t want us to be locked in a bitter dispute and I will never close the door on talks and will do my best to see if we can get off to a better start in 2026.”
But Streeting said the BMA was “demanding an extra 26% on top of what we’ve already given”.
“This is not a figure we can afford, but we will sit down with them again in the new year,” he added.
Health experts have warned that the impact of the strike will be felt into the new year “and beyond”.
Last week Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the strike as “dangerous and completely irresponsible”, especially during a record flu season as the start of winter.
During the work stoppage, the BMA said it would work with NHS bosses to ensure safety in hospitals and other parts of the health service.
Although the NHS is on high alert about flu, the rise in the virus is slowing, at least for now. The BBC reported on Friday that more than 3,000 patients in England were in hospital with the virus.
Meanwhile, resident doctors in Scotland will go on strike from 13 January to 17 January. This will be the first time NHS workers have gone on strike at a national level.
