Resident doctors in England returned to work at 7am Monday after a five-day strike that hit hospitals already struggling with record flu cases. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has vowed to resume talks with the British Medical Association (BMA) in the new year, though he called the union's demand for an additional 26% pay increase unaffordable.
The walkout ended as hospitals face a surge in flu patients. An average of 3,140 people were hospitalized with flu as of Thursday, an 18% increase and a record level for this time of year. Last year at the same point, hospitals had 2,629 flu patients. In 2023, the figure was just 648.
BMA members voted overwhelmingly to reject the government's latest offer, with 83% choosing to continue strike action. Only 17% found the offer sufficient. The turnout for the vote was 65%.
Government Position
Streeting told media during a visit to an ambulance station in London last week: «I do want to end this dispute. I don't want us to be locked in a bitter dispute, and I'm never going to shut the door to talks, and I will do my best to see if we can start 2026 off on a better foot.»
He described the BMA as «demanding an extra 26% on top of what we've already given.» The Health Secretary added: «That is not a figure that we can afford but we will get around the table with them again in the new year.»
Streeting told MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee he is «just as, if not more, worried» about the weeks immediately following the strike.
Impact on Healthcare
Dr. Layla McCay of the NHS Confederation told Sky News on the first day of the walkout: «What healthcare leaders are telling us is that the impact we will see from these particular strikes will affect particularly things like the waiting lists, and the disruption that is being caused this week will be felt all the way into January and beyond.»
Hospitals are now working to recover from the pre-Christmas disruption. The strike's impact on waiting lists is expected to extend well into the new year.
Union's Call for Solutions
Dr. Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA's resident doctors committee, called for a shift in approach: «2026 must see less name-calling and more deal-making. What we need is a proper fix to this jobs crisis and a credible path towards restoring the lost value of the profession. That must mean the creation of genuinely new jobs and it could involve a responsible multi-year approach to restoring doctors' pay. Those are solutions that mean we can build out our future workforce to end the current crisis, solutions which are very much within the Government's power.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
