Five-day NHS resident doctors' strike ends as talks to resume in 2026
A five-day strike by NHS resident doctors in England concluded on Monday morning, December 22, 2025. The British Medical Association (BMA) called for constructive and non-confrontational talks with the health secretary Wes Streeting, who vowed to resume discussions in the new year to avoid further industrial action.
The strike, which took place from December 17 to 22 and coincided with the flu season, ended without resolution but with a shift towards conciliation. Government representatives had previously refused to reopen pay negotiations, instead offering a multiyear plan to expand training places. Doctors demanded a restoration of pay to 2008 real terms, leading the BMA residents to vote for strike action.
Wes Streeting stated his commitment to avoid any NHS industrial action in 2026, emphasizing that his door remains open for dialogue. Earlier, the prime minister had described the strike as beyond belief given the NHS's flu-related crisis. However, the tone has since softened as the strike ended.
Unison's incoming general secretary Andrea Egan criticized Streeting's characterization of the strike as morally reprehensible, while Streeting accused the BMA of acting like a cartel. Jack Fletcher, chair of the resident doctors committee, called for less name-calling and more deal-making in 2026, urging a credible multi-year plan to restore pay and create genuinely new jobs as solutions to the doctors' jobs crisis.
The NHS has managed to cope during the strike period but faces a difficult recovery and busy post-strike phase.
