Health Secretary Wes Streeting claims striking British Medical Association opposes higher taxes and “wants other people to pay for their higher wages”
Wes Streeting has accused the doctors’ union of wanting “other people” to pay for their higher salaries on the eve of strike action.
The Health Secretary told NHS leaders he was “frustrated to the point of actual fury” with the British Medical Association which he accused of behaving like a cartel. The BMA’s resident doctors will start a five-day strike on Friday as Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering raising taxes in her Autumn budget.
Speaking at NHS Providers annual conference in Manchester, Mr Streeting said: “Look at the state of the public finances and the sorts of choices we’re making, especially for the NHS.
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“Let me tell you, when we ask some of the wealthier to pay more, some of the most effective lobbyists against paying higher tax are the BMA consultants committee and the BMA pensions committee. So what they effectively do is say, ‘we want other people to pay for higher salaries for doctors’.”
Wes Streeting accused the BMA of threatening the future existence of the NHS. He said the Government would not “be held to ransom” by the BMA and that it was clear the union was no longer a professional voice for doctors.
Mr Streeting said: “One way or another, we’re not going to be held to ransom. We are going to plough on regardless. And I think it’s become increasingly clear that the BMA is no longer a professional voice for doctors. They are increasingly behaving in cartel-like behaviour, and they threaten not just the recovery of the NHS under this government, they threaten the future of the NHS full stop. And I think that is a morally reprehensible position to be in.”
Mr Streeting and NHS England boss Sir Jim Mackey have ordered hospitals to keep the majority of services operating during the strike. In a letter to trust leaders Sir Jim said rescheduling appointments and operations should “only happen in exceptional circumstances to safeguard patient safety”.
Mr Streeting said “regardless of the antics of the BMA” the Government will “just keep our eyes on the prize” of improving the NHS.
The Health Secretary has made a last-minute plea to resident doctors to call off their strike, but said the NHS would “do everything we can to keep the show on the road”.
Wes Streeting is urging resident doctors who are members of the BMA to scrap their walkout, which is scheduled to last for five days from 7am on Friday, and said doctors have seen an average increase in pay of 28.9%.
Mr Streeting said he would not move further on pay, despite calls from the BMA for a 26% uplift to counter what it says is pay erosion since 2008.
Mr Streeting said: “I’m frustrated to the point of actually fury about where we are in this round of strikes. I have so much sympathy for the issues they raise in terms of the conditions that members face at work… also their career prospects.
“So I came into this office really in their corner, wanting to make progress. And I will still make progress for [doctors] but I will do it without the BMA. I will make progress on specialty training places because it’s the right thing to do. I will tackle the international medical graduates issue because it’s the right thing to do. I will do both of those things without the BMA.”
The BMA strike will see resident doctors, who mainly work in hospitals, walk out from 7am on November 14 to 7am on November 19. It is expected to see thousands of appointments cancelled.
The BMA points to pay erosion since 2008 saying real terms salaries are down a fifth since then, according to the Retail Price Index measure of inflation.
The Government’s preferred measure of inflation the Consumer Price Index – which excludes mortgage and permanent housing costs – shows average resident doctor salaries down 5% since 2008.
Mr Streeting has pointed out that by any measure their pay has been increasing in real terms in recent years, including their latest 5.4% deal for 2025/26.
