England’s resident doctors are poised to proceed with a six-day walkout next week after crucial talks failed to avert the planned industrial action, prompting the government to withdraw a key part of its offer.
The Department of Health and Social Care announced that an offer of 1,000 additional training places, previously included in the government’s proposed deal on pay and jobs, is no longer considered “financially or operationally” possible.
This decision comes as the NHS prepares for the significant fallout from the impending strike.
Tens of thousands of resident doctors across England are expected to participate in the extensive walkout, which is scheduled to commence on Tuesday, immediately following the Easter weekend.
The development follows Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s recent ultimatum to the British Medical Association’s (BMA) resident doctors committee.
He had given them a 48-hour deadline to reconsider the government’s comprehensive pay and jobs package, which had encompassed the now-rescinded NHS training posts.
As the deadline approached, the BMA set out a list of demands for government which would need to be addressed for them to call off the strike.
Responding, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “It is disappointing that the BMA has decided to press ahead with strikes next week, despite conversations we have been having in recent days in a bid to protect the NHS from strikes.
“This Government offered resident doctors a generous deal to improve their pay, career progression and working lives that would have seen resident doctors on average 35.2% better off than they were four years ago.
“Because the BMA resident doctor committee has not agreed to call off these strikes and put an offer to members, we will now not be able to deliver the 1,000 extra training places which the BMA asked for.
“These posts would have gone live this month, but as systems now need to prepare for strikes and more uncertainty, it simply won’t be operationally or financially possible to launch these posts in April in time to recruit for this year – this won’t impact the overall number of resident doctors and the NHS will be there for patients when they need it.
“Our attention and that of leaders across the NHS is now on protecting patients, staff and our NHS by minimising disruption to the health service.”
In a letter sent earlier on Wednesday, Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the doctors’ committee, said the current offer from the Government “falls short” and “did not meet the standard required” to put to members of the union.
“We have consistently maintained that we are willing to postpone industrial action should a genuinely credible offer be provided,” he said in a letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
“This remains the case now, up to and throughout any period of industrial action.”
Dr Fletcher said Government “threats” to remove training places in the current offer “needlessly and avoidably inflamed the dispute”.
The BMA said that in order to cancel action, several issues must be addressed in any new Government offer on jobs and pay.
“We remain open to any improved offer or further negotiation. We are willing to talk before, during and after any industrial action,” Dr Fletcher added.
