Resident doctors in England are set to stage fresh strike action next month as the long-running dispute over pay and working conditions continues.
The British Medical Association confirmed that resident doctors — formerly known as junior doctors — will walk out from 7am on June 15th until 6.59am on June 19th.
The four-day strike will be the latest in a series of industrial actions that have affected the National Health Service since 2023. The BMA has warned that further strike dates could follow in July if negotiations with the Government do not progress.
Resident doctors are continuing to demand what they describe as “pay restoration”, arguing that salaries have fallen significantly in real terms since 2008. The union says doctors have experienced a 26% drop in the real value of pay over that period.
The dispute is also centred around training opportunities and staffing pressures across the NHS. The BMA has repeatedly called for an increase in specialist training places and improvements to career progression for younger doctors.
Health Secretary James Murray has criticised the planned strike action, describing the union’s demands as unrealistic and warning that further disruption could impact efforts to reduce NHS waiting lists.
Previous rounds of strike action have led to the postponement of appointments, operations and diagnostic tests across England, with NHS leaders warning that the latest walkout is likely to cause further disruption for patients.
The latest announcement marks the 16th strike involving resident doctors since the dispute began more than three years ago.