Starmer calls doctors' strike dangerous as five-day walkout begins

LONDON — The five-day walkout by resident doctors in England began at 07:00 Wednesday, the 14th such action in a long-running pay dispute, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling the strike dangerous and utterly irresponsible and warning doctors not to abandon patients. The British Medical Association says it wants a genuinely long-term plan to raise pay and to create more training places rather than recycling posts so that more doctors can specialise and progress.

NHS bosses warned that some pre-booked services could be disrupted as hospitals grapple with a surge in flu and other winter illnesses. The BMA said it would work with NHS managers to safeguard safety across hospitals and clinics during the walkout, while insisting the strike is about securing a fair pay deal and safe staffing.

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Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer said: "Don’t abandon patients, work with us to improve to conditions and rebuild the NHS." Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of lacking the will to ban strikes and argued he had lost control to the trade unions.

On the picket lines at hospitals nationwide, Dr Jack Fletcher, the BMA’s resident doctor leader, said: "we're here yet again, because we have not yet reached a credible deal to fix this absurd jobs crisis." He added: "What we're asking for is to stop these real-term pay cuts that the government is recommending for doctors."

This is the 14th walkout by resident doctors in a long-running pay dispute. The strike followed last-minute talks between the government and the BMA that broke down on Tuesday; officials described the meeting as constructive but said there was not enough progress to call off the action. Resident doctors represent nearly half of the NHS medical workforce, and they are walking out of both emergency and non-urgent care with senior doctors drafted in to provide cover. Around 50 medics demonstrated outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London, with additional protests at hospitals in Leeds, Newcastle and other cities.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the strike would have a "dicey" impact in the run-up to Christmas and expressed regret about the disruption to patients and to staff who would be "knackered as a result" of industrial action. He noted there had been no breakthrough after five hours of talks with BMA representatives on Tuesday, saying the two sides were broadly in agreement on jobs but far apart on pay. He warned the strikes would cost about £250 million and worsen pressures across the NHS and the wider health system.

NHS England said GP practices would remain open and urgent and emergency care services would be available, but cautioned that there could still be disruption. Cheltenham General Hospital’s emergency department is closing for emergencies during the strike and will remain open only for minor injuries, with patients advised to use nearby Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. The public was urged to use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent, but not life-threatening, issues during the strike; patients needing emergency care should continue to call 999 or present at A&E as normal.

Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, described the dispute as "like having the worst possible Groundhog Day" and warned that thousands of patients will see their operations and procedures postponed or canceled. He added that despite the strain, hospitals would remain safe and urged people to attend appointments unless told otherwise.

In the political arena, Streeting has maintained that pay is not up for negotiation while doctors have received nearly 30% in pay rises over the past three years. The BMA argues that, even with those increases, resident doctors’ pay remains about a fifth below 2008 levels once inflation is taken into account. The union said it remains committed to patient safety and to working with NHS England to address concerns during the strikes.

Wales has agreed a new contract that promises a 4% additional investment in the workforce, while Scotland’s BMA resident doctor members await the results of a pay ballot after contending government ministers had backtracked on a pay agreement; Scotland has so far avoided NHS strikes. Wales and Scotland represent the other UK nations in the broader health-system dispute.

The strike comes amid a winter of heightened demand and record numbers of patients in hospital with flu, and follows two earlier rounds in July and November when NHS England said it kept the majority of non-urgent operations and treatments going. As Christmas approaches and pressures mount, health leaders warn the next weeks could be difficult for hospitals and staff alike, even as they strive to maintain critical services for those who need them most.

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