On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, England awoke to the start of what is now the fourteenth walkout by resident doctors—formerly known as junior doctors—in a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions. Beginning at 07:00, the five-day strike is the latest flashpoint in a saga that has left the National Health Service (NHS) bracing for significant disruption, as hospitals already grapple with a surge in flu cases and the typical winter onslaught of illnesses.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer minced no words in his response, publicly labeling the strike as "dangerous and utterly irresponsible." Addressing the issue during Prime Minister's Questions, Starmer sent a direct message to the striking doctors: "Don't abandon patients, work with us to improve conditions and rebuild the NHS." According to BBC reporting, Starmer's warning was not just about the immediate impact on patient care but also about the broader perception of the NHS at a critical time.
The British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors' union leading the strike, has set out clear demands. They are pushing for what they call a "genuinely long term plan" to increase pay and reverse years of below-inflation rises. The union also insists on the creation of new training places, rather than simply recycling existing ones, so more doctors can specialize and progress in their careers. As the BMA put it, they want to "stop these real-term pay cuts that the government is recommending for doctors."
Resident doctors, who make up nearly half of all NHS doctors, are walking out of both emergency and non-urgent care. Senior doctors have been drafted in to provide cover, but NHS leaders admit they will struggle to keep some pre-booked services going. The timing could hardly be worse: hospitals are dealing with record numbers of flu patients, and the annual winter pressures are already stretching resources thin.
Outside St Thomas' Hospital in London, around 50 medics gathered to protest, holding placards that read "patients need doctors, doctors need jobs." Similar scenes played out at hospitals in Leeds and Newcastle. Dr Jack Fletcher, a BMA resident doctor leader, spoke from the picket line: "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." When asked about declining public support for the strikes, Dr Fletcher acknowledged, "I do care what my patients think but I didn't sign up to give that care in a corridor."
This latest strike comes after last-minute talks between the government and the BMA broke down late Tuesday. Although the government described the meeting as "constructive," both sides admitted that not enough progress had been made to avert the walkout. Health Secretary Wes Streeting expressed "deep regret" over the timing and impact of the strike, especially in the run-up to Christmas. "The situation in some hospitals is already dicey," he told Parliament, voicing concern for medical staff who would be "knackered as a result" of the industrial action. Streeting estimated the cost of the strike at £250 million, a price tag that adds to "operational pressures, on patients and on the whole NHS workforce."
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch seized the moment to criticize Starmer, claiming that he didn't "have the baubles" to ban doctors' strikes and had lost control to trade unions. The political sparring underscored how the dispute has become a lightning rod for broader debates about the future of the NHS and the government's ability to manage public sector unrest.
For many doctors, the issues run deeper than pay. Dr Krunthika Ramamurthi, who trained as a doctor in India and has worked in the UK for five years, described how she has been unable to secure a specialty training post—a key step for career progression after the initial two years of training. Instead, she has been forced into short-term locum roles that do not count towards her training. "It is really difficult. I am not progressing in my career – it is clear there is a shortage of jobs. I don't want to strike, but the government is not addressing our concerns – pay is still below the 2008 levels," she said. She added, "If the NHS is crumbling because of the flu cases that tells you everything really – the NHS needs to be better resourced."
The BMA argues that even after nearly 30% pay rises over the past three years, resident doctors' pay remains a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is factored in. The union's stance is that the government offer—announced last week and rejected in a BMA members' vote on Monday—does not go far enough. That offer included increasing the number of specialty training posts and covering out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees. However, the BMA's membership was unmoved, voting to continue the strike action.
Medical director Prof Meghana Pandit painted a stark picture of the challenges ahead, warning that the strikes come "at an immensely challenging time for the NHS," with record numbers of patients hospitalized with flu for this time of year. She suggested that more patients are likely to feel the impact of this round of strikes than in previous walkouts, and noted that staff covering for those on strike would miss out on Christmas breaks with their families.
Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers—which represents hospital and ambulance services—compared the strikes to "having the worst possible Groundhog Day." He told BBC Breakfast, "But unlike the film this is real, so thousands of patients are going to have their operations and procedures postponed or cancelled." Despite the disruption, Elkeles reassured the public that patients would still be safe in hospital and urged them to attend appointments unless told otherwise.
Hospitals have had to make rapid adjustments. Cheltenham General Hospital's emergency department will close to emergencies during the strike, remaining open only for minor injuries. Patients are being advised to use the nearby Gloucestershire Royal Hospital for urgent care. NHS England has also advised the public to use the 111 online service as a first port of call for urgent but non-life-threatening issues, and to use 999 or A&E for emergencies as usual.
In the previous two strikes, in July and November, NHS England managed to keep the majority of non-urgent operations and treatments—such as hip and knee replacements—going. But NHS bosses warn that the situation could be "dicey" in the coming weeks, with concerns that hospitals may struggle to discharge patients in time for Christmas as those still working focus on providing strike cover.
As the five-day walkout unfolds, both sides remain entrenched. The government maintains it will not return to pay negotiations, pointing to the nearly 30% rise already delivered. The BMA insists the real value of doctors' pay has eroded, and that the NHS itself is at risk if these issues are not addressed. For patients and NHS staff alike, the coming days promise to be tense—and the search for a resolution seems as elusive as ever.
