Resident doctors across England have announced a five-day strike set to begin next month, a move that health leaders warn could deepen the strain on hospitals already struggling with winter illnesses and long waiting lists.
The British Medical Association confirmed on Thursday that its members would walk out from 7 a.m. on November 14 until 7 a.m. on November 19, marking the 13th round of industrial action since 2023.
Hospital chiefs say the latest stoppage could significantly disrupt NHS operations, particularly as hospitals brace for a seasonal rise in flu, Covid, and other respiratory infections.
Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, told The Daily National News that another strike at this stage was “the last thing the NHS needs” heading into a difficult winter.
The decision follows a breakdown in negotiations between the BMA’s resident doctors’ committee and Health Secretary Wes Streeting over pay restoration and career progression.
Dr. Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors’ committee, said the strike was triggered by the government’s failure to make concrete commitments after “months of vague promises.”
“This is not where we wanted to be,” Fletcher said. “We need a credible plan that works for doctors, for government, and most importantly for our patients.”
He added that the health secretary’s most recent letter offered “little understanding of the crisis here and now” and failed to address key issues such as fair pay and access to training positions.
The BMA is demanding a 29 percent pay increase to restore salaries to 2008 levels after years of stagnation and inflation-related cuts.
Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, have already held 12 strikes since March 2023, totaling 49 days of lost service time across NHS hospitals.
Wes Streeting condemned the strike announcement, calling it “preposterous” and “reckless,” accusing the BMA of jeopardizing patient care for political reasons.
“It is astonishing that the BMA has chosen to launch yet another damaging strike just a week after its new leadership began discussions with the government,” Streeting said.
He noted that resident doctors’ pay had risen nearly 29 percent over the past three years and insisted that there was no fiscal room for further increases this year.
Streeting claimed the strike would “block a better deal” that the government was prepared to offer, including improvements to working conditions and additional specialty training placements.
A source close to the health secretary told The Daily National News that a potential agreement had been derailed when the full BMA committee refused to endorse the outline of a deal reached by negotiators.
Meanwhile, patient advocates are warning that the strike will have severe repercussions for those awaiting treatment.
Alf Collins, a trustee at the Patients Association, said that “patients will again be left waiting in pain and uncertainty.” He warned that the five-day stoppage would lead to cascading delays for weeks and possibly months.
NHS executives estimate that each strike costs the health service millions of pounds and forces thousands of operations and appointments to be rescheduled.
The latest dispute comes at a crucial moment as the NHS grapples with record-high waiting lists of more than 7.4 million people in England alone.
Health analysts say the timing is particularly difficult since November marks the start of the winter surge when hospitals are typically overwhelmed by seasonal illnesses.
Richard Sloggett, a former special adviser at the Department of Health, told The Daily National News that the strikes “deal a hammer blow” to government efforts to cut waiting times and improve performance.
He added that the walkout, scheduled just days before the national budget announcement, would highlight ongoing tensions between the Treasury and the Department of Health over NHS funding.
Streeting has previously stated that restoring pay for resident doctors to 2008 levels would cost billions and could not be achieved “without difficult trade-offs” in other areas of health spending.
The BMA, however, insists that fair compensation is essential to retaining medical professionals and preventing further burnout and staff shortages.
As the strike looms, NHS hospitals are preparing contingency plans, including redeploying consultants and senior clinicians to cover critical shifts.
A spokesperson for NHS England confirmed that urgent and emergency care services would remain operational, but warned that routine care would face significant disruption.
The Department of Health has urged the BMA to return to talks immediately, while the BMA maintains that the government must present a serious offer to prevent further walkouts.
With both sides entrenched, the November strike is expected to become one of the most consequential labor actions in the NHS this year, testing the limits of a system already stretched to breaking point.
