LONDON — Thousands of resident doctors in England have announced a five-day strike in protest against poor pay and growing job insecurity, after negotiations with the government failed once again.
According to the British Medical Association (BMA), the strike will begin at 7 a.m. on November 14 and continue until 7 a.m. on November 19.
Resident doctors — previously known as junior doctors — make up almost half of the NHS medical workforce, and they argue that years of below-inflation pay rises have left them struggling financially.
Dr. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said, “This is not where we wanted to be, but government inaction has left us with no choice.”
He explained that the BMA had spent the past week in talks with the health ministry, urging it to address rising unemployment among doctors, but no progress was made. According to a BMA survey, nearly half of second-year doctors are struggling to find employment, even as thousands of hospital shifts remain unfilled.
Dr. Fletcher added that the union had demanded an end to years of pay erosion, but the government’s latest proposal — an increment of just one pound per hour over four years — was “deeply inadequate.”
Analysts warn that the upcoming strike could further strain the already overwhelmed NHS, where millions of patients are waiting for treatment amid chronic staff shortages.
