Resident doctors begin six-day strike in England: Here’s why they are protesting

RESIDENT doctors in England began a six-day strike on Tuesday (local time) after rejecting the UK government's pay offer. The British Medical Association (BMA) said the proposal did not adequately address years of declining real wages or ongoing staffing shortages, Reuters reported.

The strike, which is taking place over the Easter holiday period, will continue until the morning of 13 April after a 48-hour ultimatum from Prime Minister Keir Starmer expired without a deal.

As the ultimatum expired, the government has now withdrawn a pledge to fund 1,000 additional speciality training posts, which it had previously promised, saying it was contingent on the deal being accepted.

UK govt denies diverting funds from patient services

Wes Streeting, the country's health minister, noted that the Starmer-led government would not divert funds from patient services for a settlement it deems unaffordable. Streeting estimated that the strike would cost the health service about £50 million ($66 million) per day, or £300 million over the six-day walkout.

The report, citing the health minister, said that resident doctors, under the Labour government, received the largest pay increase among public sector groups, but they rejected the offer without making a counterproposal. He had said that the offer "doesn't get ​better than this" when he urged the union to reconsider it last month.

BMA denounces declining pay

BMA represents nearly 55,000 of the resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, who make up roughly half of the medical workforce in the country.

Since 2023, the association has held over a dozen strikes over pay. Successive governments have argued that the industrial action has hindered efforts to bring down waiting lists in the state-run health system. The association says that the government's offer on pay and workforce reforms falls short of addressing long-standing issues, such as historical ⁠below-inflation pay increases.

It noted that the proposal included a 3.5% pay hike this year, which officials say is above inflation and would bring total increases over three years to about 35%. It also covers reimbursement of mandatory exam fees, which can run into thousands of pounds.

Jack Fletcher, who chairs the BMA's resident doctors' committee, said the association has been concerned about the overall investment in the deal being scaled back, adding that key reforms would be phased in over several years and that there is still uncertainty around the rollout of new training posts. He added that the confidence has been further undermined since the government's threat to withdraw parts of the deal.

BMA, in a post on X, said, “No one wants to strike, but without a credible offer, doctors have no alternative."

How much do resident doctors earn?

According to a BBC report, during the first foundation year after completing the medical degree, resident doctors in England receive a basic salary of just over £40,000. After several years, the most senior resident doctors start getting £76,500 in basic pay.

The medics are often expected to work night shifts, weekends and longer hours, for which they get an extra payment on top of their base salary.

In 2023 and 2024, resident doctors received pay rises totalling 22%, and got an additional 5.4% in 2025.

NHS warns patients not to delay care ahead of strike

Ahead of the scheduled strikes, the National Health Service (NHS) on Monday advised patients to come forward for care during the strike period. It said that those dealing with emergencies should use 999 and 111 as normal, with senior doctors being asked to provide cover.

The NHS also said that patients who have planned appointments and treatments should attend unless advised otherwise.

During previous industrial action, hospitals were told to cancel only routine appointments in exceptional circumstances. However, the BBC report suggests that appointments and operations could be hindered for thousands of patients.