Resident doctors in England consider new government offer amid proposed December strike
Resident doctors in England are debating whether a new government offer meets their demands sufficiently to call off a planned five-day strike from 17 to 22 December. The British Medical Association (BMA) has launched an online survey to gather doctors' opinions, with polling set to conclude two days before the strike's start date.
The government's package includes prioritising UK medical graduates for specialty training and increasing the number of training posts from 1,000 to 4,000 over three years, with additional posts commencing in 2026. It also offers funding to cover mandatory Royal College exam and membership fees for resident doctors.
However, the offer does not meet the doctors' call for a 26% salary increase over the next few years. Since 2008, pay erosion has been a continuing issue, though doctors have received a 28.9% pay rise in the last three years.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has urged doctors to accept the proposal to avoid strikes. He has also offered to extend the mandate to allow for strike action later in January if the current offer is rejected, describing the union's decision not to accept it as inexplicable.
The NHS is currently under significant pressure, driven by a surge in illness and a more infectious strain of flu, which has resulted in record demand for urgent care services.
