Resident doctors in England have called off strike action which was due to start on Monday after the Government made a new offer which will be put to members, the British Medical Association (BMA) said
Doctors across England have cancelled their planned industrial action following a new proposal from the Government, which will now be voted on by union members. The medics had been preparing to launch a four-day walkout starting at 7am on Monday, marking what would have been their 16th period of striking since 2023.
However, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced on Saturday that a eleventh-hour offer had been received. The union confirmed that this latest deal will be put forward to its membership for consideration.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors committee (RDC), said: “We have always been clear that no strikes needed to go ahead if we received an offer appropriate to put to our members.
“This should not have been left to the last moment, but we hold up our end of the bargain when the Government shifts its position.
“All we have asked for is a fair offer that secures enough jobs to tackle the madness of doctor unemployment and take steps to address the erosion of our pay. Tens of thousands of frontline doctors will now vote in a referendum on whether this offer is sufficient.
“We will always negotiate in good faith and strikes are a last resort that we will only use in the face of complete Government intransigence. When Government moves, so do we.
“Doctors will now have their say. If they say no to this offer, we will have to continue our plans for further escalated action across next month.”
