As reported by Yahoo News, Wes Streeting has warned doctors he “cannot” offer an improved pay rise as both sides refuse to back down over the threat of major industrial action
Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, in England are being balloted for strike action by the British Medical Association (BMA), which will last for six months and hit the NHS during its busiest period in the winter.
The BMA claimed on Sunday that the Health Secretary has refused to enter formal negotiations over pay, with the union insisting that resident doctors’ pay has declined by “23% in real terms since 2008”.
But Streeting has rejected the claims, taking to X/Twitter to state that during the last meeting with the leaders of the BMA’s resident doctors committee he offered to meet their entire committee for talks during meetings last month.
The Health Secretary believes doctors now risk stoking patient anger by voting in favour of strike action, as they will not have the support of the public as they did during the last round of industrial action.
A recent YouGov poll of 4,100 British adults found that 48% now oppose resident doctors going on strike, compared to 39% who support the action. Pollsters noted this represents a shift in public opinion from last summer, when 52% of respondents expressed support for striking junior doctors.
The strike ballot will close on 7 July and if the resident doctors choose to take industrial action, it could potentially last until January 2026.
Be the first to comment