Junior doctors in England to go on strike over pay dispute

LONDON

Junior doctors in England will stage a full walkout later this month after securing a fresh mandate for industrial action in their ongoing campaign for pay restoration.

The British Medical Association (BMA) on Wednesday confirmed that junior doctors will strike on Friday 25 July until 30 July, following the outcome of a six-week ballot which concluded on 7 July.

In a strong show of support, 90% of those who voted backed further strike action, with a turnout of 55%. Almost 30,000 doctors cast ballots, with 26,766 in favor of striking.

The result grants junior doctors a renewed mandate for industrial action until January 2026.

Co-chairs of the BMA’s junior doctors committee, Melissa Ryan and Ross Nieuwoudt, said the ballot result sent a clear message to the government.

“Doctors have spoken and spoken clearly: they won’t accept that they are worth a fifth less than they were in 2008. Our pay may have declined, but our will to fight remains strong,” they said.

They urged Health Secretary Wes Streeting to resume negotiations and bring forward a credible pay offer.

“Doctors don’t take industrial action lightly – but they know it is preferable to watching their profession wither away. The next move is the Government’s. Will it repeat the mistakes of its predecessor? Or will it do the right thing and negotiate a path to full pay restoration and the restoration of doctors’ confidence in our profession’s future?”

They added: “Now we will see if he can once again make the right decision. He needs to come forward as soon as possible with a credible path to pay restoration. All we need is a credible pay offer and nobody need strike.”

The BMA says junior doctors’ pay has fallen by more than a quarter in real terms since 2008, and that many now feel their only recourse is industrial action.

The forthcoming strike will mark a continuation of a dispute that saw 11 rounds of strikes between 2023 and 2024.

Although a deal was reached with the newly elected Labour government in September 2024, junior doctor leaders described it as only a “step forward” in the path to full pay restoration.