UK Prime Minister Urges Resident Doctors’ Union to Accept Pay Deal Ahead of Strikes

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on the union for resident doctors in England to reconsider a proposed pay and workforce deal, giving it 48 hours to accept the offer as he warned that planned strikes would harm both doctors and patients.

Writing in the Times newspaper, Starmer described the British Medical Association’s decision to announce six days of strikes in April without putting the offer to a vote as “reckless.” Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, are set to walk out from April 7 to April 13 after the BMA said the government’s proposal failed to address long-term pay erosion and staffing pressures in the National Health Service.

Starmer emphasized that the government’s offer included an above-inflation pay increase this year, with total pay rises over three years amounting to around 35 percent. The deal also proposed reforms to pay progression, aimed at rewarding experience more consistently, as well as reimbursement of mandatory exam fees, which can cost doctors thousands of pounds during training. Up to 4,500 additional specialty training posts were also planned over the next three years.

“That is why walking away from this deal is the wrong decision. It is a reckless decision,” Starmer wrote on Monday. “And doing so without even giving resident doctors themselves the chance to vote on it makes it even worse.” He urged the BMA’s resident doctors’ committee to put the offer to members so they could decide on its acceptance.

The BMA, which represents about 55,000 resident doctors—nearly half of England’s medical workforce—argues that the pay increase falls below current inflation and that the phased approach to pay progression risks locking in further real-terms losses.

Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors’ committee, responded to Starmer’s comments by saying the dispute is “not about arbitrary cut-offs.” He stressed that any imposed deadline would be irrelevant once a credible and sustainable offer is on the table. Fletcher confirmed the union planned to resume talks with the government on Tuesday, with the goal of reaching a deal that could prevent the strikes.

The looming industrial action marks one of the most significant disputes in the NHS in recent years. With hospitals already facing pressures from staffing shortages and increased patient demand, officials have warned that strikes could disrupt routine care and delay treatments, intensifying the ongoing challenges within England’s health service.

As talks continue, both the government and the BMA face pressure to find a resolution that balances fair compensation for doctors with the operational needs of the NHS, amid growing public concern over the potential impact on patient care.