UK

Junior doctors take strike action ahead of General Election

4th June 2024

“For more than 18 months we have been asking Rishi Sunak to put forward proposals to restore the pay junior doctors have lost over the past 15 years”

BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs Dr Robert Laurenson &Dr Vivek Trivedi

on Junior doctors take strike action ahead of General Election

By the BMA media team

Junior doctors in England have announced new strike dates ahead of the General Election as Rishi Sunak continues to refuse to meet junior doctors’ demands for a roadmap to restore pay lost over the last 15 years.  

After 3 months of talks between junior doctors in England and the Government, the Prime Minister has still made no credible offer to junior doctors.   

After the general election was called last week the BMA gave the Government a final opportunity to make an offer and avoid strikes. This opportunity has not been taken up. 

As a result, the BMA’s junior doctors committee has decided to announce further strike dates which will take place in the run up to the General Election. This will involve a full walkout by junior doctors beginning at 7am 27th June 2024 and ending 7am 2nd July. 

BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said:  

“We made clear to the Government that we would strike unless discussions ended in a credible pay offer. For more than 18 months we have been asking Rishi Sunak to put forward proposals to restore the pay junior doctors have lost over the past 15 years – equal to more than a quarter in real terms.  

“When we entered mediation with Government this month we did so under the impression that we had a functioning government that would soon be making an offer. Clearly no offer is now forthcoming. Junior doctors are fed up and out of patience. 

“Even at this late stage Mr Sunak has the opportunity to show that he cares about the NHS and its workers. It is finally time for him to make a concrete commitment to restore doctors’ pay. If during this campaign he makes such a public commitment that is acceptable to the BMA’s junior doctors committee, then no strikes need go ahead.”

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• This article was originally published by the BMA on 29 May, 2024.
• The British Medical Association (BMA) is a professional association and trade union representing and negotiating on behalf of all doctors in the UK. You can follow the BMA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.