Residents of England have this week to make arrangements for any health eventuality, following an impending one-week strike by resident doctors.
The junior doctors, represented by the British Medical Association (BMA), have threatened to go on strike for six days, starting at 8 am local time. The strike, which is expected to end on 13th April, involves doctors working in the government-funded National Health Service (NHS).
Prime Minister Starmer Threatens the Doctors
The UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has ordered the BMA to withdraw the strike notice within 48 hours, or the government will withdraw 1,000 additional training opportunities set aside for doctors.
This year, the UK began offering specialized training to resident doctors through a program designed to address staff shortages by 2028. This is a serious arrangement underlined by the Medical Training (Prioritization) Act 2026, which was passed into law on 5th March, 2026.
Other reforms in favor of UK doctors include a proposal to reimburse individuals for any examination fees they pay at the Royal College.
BMA Says Pay Increase is Too Low
Last week, the BMA announced the doctors’ intention to go on strike, pointing out that the training slots set aside for them are too few. The association also claimed that this year’s proposed pay rise is too low at 3.5%, taking the inflation rate into account. The BMA has also noted that inflation has not been factored into the doctors’ pay since 2008.
However, according to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, the cumulative pay increase for resident doctors for the last three years amounts to a 30% pay rise, and additional pay is untenable.