Home » UK Employment news » Junior doctors in England announce 9 day strike as pay talks falter

Junior doctors in England announce 9 day strike as pay talks falter

By Nithya Bose in UK Employment news, posted December 6, 2023

The NHS is bracing for unprecedented challenges as junior doctors in England announce the longest strike in its history.

The strike will be held for nine days over December and January.

According to hospital leaders, this decision follows the collapse of pay talks and threatens to strain the healthcare system during its most demanding period.

The British Medical Association (BMA) revealed tens of thousands of junior doctors plan to walk out for 72 hours.

The planned action starts from 7am on Wednesday, December 20, to 7am on Saturday, December 23.

Additionally, they will stage a six-day strike from January 3 to January 9.

These strikes are critical for the NHS and mark the longest industrial action in its history.

Sir Julian Hartley, the chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “This is the outcome that trust leaders were dreading.

“This will be the longest strike in NHS history, during the busiest and toughest time of the year for the NHS.

“These strikes will undermine efforts to cut waiting lists further, they’ll have a serious knock-on effect on services right across the NHS and they’ll impact the quality of care for patients.”

The BMA's junior doctors committee (JDC) broke off pay talks to proceed with the strikes.

“It is clear the government is still not prepared to address the real-terms pay cut doctors have experienced since 2008”

It’s after the Department of Health and Social Care offered just three percentage points more than the average 8.8 percent pay rise for this year.

This year, the 8.8 percent hike was already offered to junior doctors, mostly medics below the consultant level.

The JDC had been pursuing a 35 percent pay claim.

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The nine additional strikes compound the 25 days of stoppages junior doctors have already carried out since initiating strikes in March.

Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trevedi, the JDC’s co-chairs, said: “After five weeks of intense talks the government was unable to present a credible offer on pay by the deadline.

"Instead we were offered an additional 3%, unevenly spread across doctors’ grades, which would still amount to pay cuts for many doctors this year.

“It is clear the government is still not prepared to address the real-terms pay cut doctors have experienced since 2008.”

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