Resident Physicians in England to Launch Five-Day Strike Next Month

Medical professionals in England are preparing to stage a five-day strike in November, in protest over jobs and pay.

Walkout Information

The British Medical Association (BMA) stated that resident doctors will strike for five consecutive days from 7am on 14 November to November 19 at 7am.

Resident doctors, who constitute nearly 50% of all medical staff in the National Health Service, are taking this action after unsuccessful talks with the health department.

Causes of the Walkout

Dr Jack Fletcher commented, “We did not want to reach this point. We have spent the last week in talks with government, pressing the health secretary to resolve the scandal of unemployed physicians.”

“Our survey reveals 50% of second-year physicians in the UK are facing unemployment, their talents being unused whilst millions of patients endure long waits for care and shifts in hospitals remain vacant. This is a situation which cannot go on.”

He continued, “We talked with the government in good faith, keen for the minister to understand that a agreement offering solutions to slowly restore the pay reductions over a number of years, providing newly trained doctors a raise of just a pound an hour for the coming four years.”

“We trusted the authorities would recognize that our asks are not just reasonable but are in the interest of the public and our those we treat and would also help stop our doctors departing from the health service.”

Who Are Resident Physicians?

Resident doctors have anywhere up to eight years’ experience practicing in hospitals, based on their field, or as many as three years in primary care.

Further information are expected shortly.