England’s healthcare system is bracing for yet another wave of disruption as resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, prepare to stage a five-day strike from November 14 to 19, 2025. The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents almost half of all NHS doctors, announced the walkout after fresh negotiations with the government failed to yield a breakthrough on pay and job security. For many, this thirteenth round of industrial action in three years is not just another protest—it’s a flashpoint in the ongoing struggle over the future of the National Health Service.
The strike is expected to have a sweeping impact, disrupting both routine and emergency NHS services across England. Thousands of appointments, operations, and diagnostic tests will be postponed, forcing NHS trusts to scramble for contingency plans. According to BBC News and Sky News, senior doctors will be called upon to fill the gaps, but hospital leaders warn that the strain will ultimately be felt by patients. Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, put it bluntly: "Another strike by resident doctors is the last thing the NHS needs, particularly as we head into what's going to be another challenging winter for the health service. Trust leaders will do everything they can to prepare for this five-day walkout, but once again it'll be patients that will be left paying the price."
At the heart of the dispute is a fierce debate over pay and working conditions. The government maintains that resident doctors have received nearly 29% in pay rises over the past three years. But the BMA argues that these increases have not kept pace with inflation, leaving real wages about 20% lower than they were in 2008. The union is calling for a 29.2% pay rise to reverse what it describes as "pay erosion." Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, voiced the frustration of many in the profession: "We know from our own survey half of second-year doctors in England are struggling to find jobs, their skills going to waste whilst millions of patients wait endlessly for treatment, and shifts in hospitals go unfilled. This is a situation which cannot go on."
Dr Fletcher emphasized that the union did not want to strike, but felt it had little choice after talks broke down. "This is not where we wanted to be. We have spent the last week in talks with government, pressing the health secretary to end the scandal of doctors going unemployed," he said. "While the BMA wanted to get a deal done, the government seemingly does not, leaving doctors with little option but to call for strike action." Fletcher also pointed out that restoring pay and creating more jobs and training places would "go a long way towards the start of a new and better health service."
For its part, the government has responded with strong words. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the strike "preposterous" and accused the BMA of "reckless posturing" that diverts resources from efforts to rebuild the NHS. "It is preposterous that the BMA have rushed headlong into more damaging strike action a week after its new leadership opened discussions with the government," Streeting said. He urged the union to call off the strike and return to the negotiating table, insisting that the government wants to work with doctors to "improve the working lives of resident doctors, and create an NHS fit for the future."
The political stakes are high. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has gone so far as to suggest a ban on strikes by doctors, similar to restrictions placed on the police and the Army. "They should not be going on strike. Conservative policy is to ban strikes by doctors in the same way the police and the Army cannot go on strike. We need to have adequate levels of healthcare," Badenoch argued, referencing legislation that would require minimum service levels—legislation that was recently scrapped by Labour.
Beyond pay, the strike shines a harsh light on the career prospects and morale of England’s young doctors. According to the BMA, more than 30,000 applicants are competing for just 10,000 specialty training posts, with half of second-year resident doctors struggling to find jobs. This bottleneck has left many feeling undervalued and underutilized, even as hospitals face chronic staff shortages. Dr Fletcher highlighted the irony: "Their skills going to waste whilst millions of patients wait endlessly for treatment, and shifts in hospitals go unfilled."
Recent strikes, including a five-day walkout in July 2025, have already exposed the challenges of maintaining patient care during industrial action. NHS managers have tried to keep routine services running, but many elective procedures have been delayed, and waiting lists have grown. Rory Deighton from the NHS Confederation expressed "bitter disappointment" at the latest breakdown in talks, warning that "despite the best efforts to plan and put contingencies in place, it is patients who bear the brunt of industrial action."
Public opinion remains divided. Some members of the public sympathize with doctors’ concerns over pay erosion and job insecurity, while others are alarmed by the impact on vulnerable patients and the risk to essential services. Data from recent ballots shows that less than half of resident doctors voted in favor of strike action, and only about a third of eligible doctors participated—a statistic the government has used to question the depth of support for the BMA’s position.
As the strike approaches, NHS trusts are prioritizing patient safety. Hospitals are implementing contingency plans to maintain critical and life-saving services through derogations—special arrangements that allow essential care to continue even during industrial action. Patients with appointments scheduled during the strike will be contacted if their care needs to be rescheduled; those not contacted are advised to attend as planned. Urgent care will remain available, with the NHS App and NHS 111 online providing advice and triage for those in need.
Despite the mounting pressures and public debate, both the government and the BMA acknowledge the need for a sustainable solution. However, as of October 23, 2025, the two sides remain at a stalemate. The future of the NHS—and the wellbeing of its patients and workforce—hangs in the balance as England prepares for what could be a long, difficult winter.
The looming strike by resident doctors is more than just a dispute over pay; it’s a test of the resilience and adaptability of England’s health service, with the outcome likely to shape the landscape of British healthcare for years to come.
