Following the conclusion of the most recent strike by junior doctors in England, the British Medical Association (BMA) and Health Secretary Wes Streeting have agreed to resume negotiations.
The five-day work stoppage, which ended Wednesday morning, occurred after talks broke down the previous week.
Subsequent to the strike’s end, Mr. Streeting extended an offer to reconvene discussions early next week, responding to a plea from the union to return to the negotiating table.
The BMA has accepted this offer. While Mr. Streeting has stated he is not willing to negotiate on pay, he has proposed resuming prior discussions focused on working conditions, including career progression, examination fees, and rotas.
However, he cautioned that the union had eroded the government’s goodwill due to the latest industrial action, which concluded on Wednesday.
In a letter to the BMA on Wednesday, Mr. Streeting noted the “irony” of the union requesting talks, emphasizing that he had remained at the negotiating table throughout.
The previous round of talks ended last Tuesday when the union confirmed its intention to proceed with the five-day strike.
This marked the 12th strike since the spring of 2023, but the first under the Labour government.
Shortly after the election, Mr. Streeting reached an agreement with junior doctors, leading to a temporary cessation of industrial action.
That agreement resulted in a 22% pay increase over two years. While doctors have received another 5.4% average rise this year, the BMA renewed strike action, arguing that this was insufficient as pay remained a fifth lower than in 2008.
In his Wednesday letter, Mr. Streeting described the latest strike action as “deeply disappointing” and “entirely unnecessary,” given the potential for substantive improvements to doctors’ working lives through continued dialogue.
He stated that the strike had a detrimental impact on patient care.
Mr. Streeting added, “Your action has also been self-defeating, because you have squandered the considerable goodwill you had with me and this government.”
However, he affirmed that his door remained open and that he was willing to meet early next week.
BMA junior doctor co-chairs Dr. Melissa Ryan and Dr. Ross Nieuwoudt expressed their anticipation for returning to discussions with the health secretary.
“We hope this time he feels able to bring to the table a more detailed offer of settlement that is tangible and acceptable.”
The full extent of the disruption to health services caused by the latest strike remains unclear.
The NHS has endeavored to maintain most non-urgent procedures, such as knee and hip replacements.
Some hospitals reported maintaining over 80% of their normal activity levels, a significant improvement from previous strike periods where activity fell as low as 50%.
Junior doctors constitute nearly half of the medical workforce, encompassing doctors ranging from recent graduates to those with up to ten years of experience.
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