UK Doctors Begin Five-Day Strike Over Pay and Training Posts.
Thousands of doctors in England began a five-day strike on Friday, marking the 13th walkout by medics since March 2023.
The action started at 0700 GMT and involves resident doctors—those below consultant level—who make up half of the hospital medical workforce.
The Labour government’s health minister, Wes Streeting, criticised the strike, accusing the British Medical Association (BMA) of “choosing confrontation over care.”
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said, “This strike isn’t about fairness any more. It’s about political posturing.” He insisted the government would not shift on pay, noting “a 28.9 per cent pay rise over the last three years and the highest pay award across the entire public sector in the last two.”
But the BMA maintains that doctors still need a 26 percent pay increase to restore earnings to their real value from two decades ago.
The union is also calling for more training posts, warning that demand wildly exceeds supply. In some cases, more than 30,000 doctors are competing for only 10,000 training places required to progress toward consultant roles.
The shortage is leaving many doctors without permanent positions despite years of training.
The strike comes as the UK continues to face a prolonged cost-of-living crisis that has triggered widespread industrial action. Over the past three and a half years, teachers, nurses, ambulance workers, lawyers, train workers, and border staff have all staged walkouts.
Thousands of doctors in England began a five-day strike on Friday, marking the 13th walkout by medics since March 2023.
The action started at 0700 GMT and involves resident doctors—those below consultant level—who make up half of the hospital medical workforce.
The Labour government’s health minister, Wes Streeting, criticised the strike, accusing the British Medical Association (BMA) of “choosing confrontation over care.”
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said, “This strike isn’t about fairness any more. It’s about political posturing.” He insisted the government would not shift on pay, noting “a 28.9 per cent pay rise over the last three years and the highest pay award across the entire public sector in the last two.”
But the BMA maintains that doctors still need a 26 percent pay increase to restore earnings to their real value from two decades ago.
The union is also calling for more training posts, warning that demand wildly exceeds supply. In some cases, more than 30,000 doctors are competing for only 10,000 training places required to progress toward consultant roles.
The shortage is leaving many doctors without permanent positions despite years of training.
The strike comes as the UK continues to face a prolonged cost-of-living crisis that has triggered widespread industrial action. Over the past three and a half years, teachers, nurses, ambulance workers, lawyers, train workers, and border staff have all staged walkouts.
UK Doctors Begin Five-Day Strike Over Pay and Training Posts.
Thousands of doctors in England began a five-day strike on Friday, marking the 13th walkout by medics since March 2023.
The action started at 0700 GMT and involves resident doctors—those below consultant level—who make up half of the hospital medical workforce.
The Labour government’s health minister, Wes Streeting, criticised the strike, accusing the British Medical Association (BMA) of “choosing confrontation over care.”
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said, “This strike isn’t about fairness any more. It’s about political posturing.” He insisted the government would not shift on pay, noting “a 28.9 per cent pay rise over the last three years and the highest pay award across the entire public sector in the last two.”
But the BMA maintains that doctors still need a 26 percent pay increase to restore earnings to their real value from two decades ago.
The union is also calling for more training posts, warning that demand wildly exceeds supply. In some cases, more than 30,000 doctors are competing for only 10,000 training places required to progress toward consultant roles.
The shortage is leaving many doctors without permanent positions despite years of training.
The strike comes as the UK continues to face a prolonged cost-of-living crisis that has triggered widespread industrial action. Over the past three and a half years, teachers, nurses, ambulance workers, lawyers, train workers, and border staff have all staged walkouts.
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