England’s resident doctors begin five-day strike

Resident doctors in England have begun a five-day strike in a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the strike during Prime Minister’s Questions in parliament on Wednesday, describing the walkout as “dangerous and utterly irresponsible”.

“My message to resident doctors is: don’t abandon patients”, Starmer said. He urged them to “work with us to improve conditions and rebuild the NHS”.

The prime minister also blamed the previous Conservative government for leaving the National Health Service “absolutely on its knees”.

The doctors, formerly known as junior doctors and accounting for nearly half of England’s medical workforce, walked out at 07: 00 GMT on Wednesday. The strike is due to continue until 07: 00 GMT on Monday.

The strike follows an online ballot organised by the British Medical Association (BMA), the union representing resident doctors. About 30, 000 members voted to reject the government’s proposal, triggering the industrial action.

Jack Fletcher, a BMA representative, said the dispute centred on two main issues: pay and a lack of jobs for qualified doctors.

“There is a jobs crisis, where doctors are trained but unable to secure roles, and there is a pay crisis”, Fletcher said while standing on a picket line outside St Thomas ‘ Hospital in London.

“We must value our doctors in this country”, he added. “Last year, more doctors left the profession than at any point in the past decade”.

The strike comes as the NHS faces increased pressure, with flu-related hospitalisations in England rising by more than 50 percent in early December. Health authorities across Europe have also warned of an unusually early and severe flu season.

NHS England said fewer doctors than usual would be on duty during the strike period, with staff required to prioritise life-saving care.

After years of inflation increases, the BMA is calling for what it calls a “genuinely long-term plan” to address pay. Additionally, it demands the creation of new training positions to enable doctors to specialize and advance, as opposed to what it claims are recycled positions.

No new pay conditions were included in the government’s most recent offer, which was made last week. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, accepted a pay increase offer that was lower than the union’s 29 percent target shortly after taking office.