The National Health Service (NHS) in England is once again facing significant disruption as resident doctors launched a five-day strike on November 14, 2025, following a breakdown in pay negotiations with the government. The industrial action, which began at 7am and is scheduled to end at 7am on November 19, marks the thirteenth walkout by doctors since March 2023, underscoring the deepening rift between medical professionals and policymakers over pay, training opportunities, and working conditions.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has not minced his words regarding the latest strike. In a pointed interview with LBC radio, Streeting accused British Medical Association (BMA) activists of “damaging” the recovery of the NHS and “holding patients to ransom.” He argued that the ongoing strikes were inflicting unnecessary pain and misery on patients, especially as the NHS grapples with mounting pressures during the busy winter season. According to Streeting, "Strike should be a last resort, and I’m sorry, but when you say ‘I don’t want to be out on strike today’, yes, you do, because you have made that choice. You have done so having had a 28.9% pay rise, the highest in the public sector, two years in a row."
The Health Secretary emphasized that despite the generous pay increases—doctors received a 28.9% pay rise in each of the past two years—strikes have continued due to unresolved issues surrounding specialty training places and working conditions. Streeting insisted that he has been working to address these concerns, but acknowledged that some changes, such as expanding training places and revising international recruitment policies, are inherently complex and take time to implement. He noted that two-thirds of the 30,000 doctors applying for 10,000 training places are international medical graduates, a situation he described as “crackers” and “unfair to our own doctors.”
Streeting also highlighted the financial toll of the strikes, stating, "These rounds of strike action cost around a quarter-of-a-billion pounds. I’d rather be investing that in frontline care for patients." The last strike in July 2025 was estimated to have cost the NHS £300 million, and the cumulative impact of repeated industrial actions is becoming a growing concern for both patient care and NHS finances.
Despite the heated rhetoric, the BMA and many doctors on the picket lines maintain that the government’s offers fall short of addressing the real issues at stake. Dr Tom Dolphin, BMA council chairman, explained the union’s position to the BBC: "We’ve got pay that is still a fifth down on the value that it had in 2008 – pay packets are still missing a fifth of their value. We’ve also got thousands of doctors who are unable to get into training posts, are unable to become the specialist and the GPs of the future that we need. And that’s a serious situation that needs addressing." Dolphin added, "We want to negotiate, we want a settlement to this. We don’t want to be on strike. We’d much rather be looking after the patients."
Resident doctors, who make up roughly half of the NHS medical workforce, play a crucial role in delivering patient care. They typically have up to eight years of experience working as hospital doctors or three years as general practitioners. The impact of their absence is keenly felt across hospitals and clinics, especially as flu cases are expected to rise sharply in mid-November, further straining NHS resources.
In Hertfordshire and west Essex, Dr Fiona Head, executive clinical director of the Integrated Care Board, warned that the strike would present "many challenges for patients, carers, our hospitals and some of our GP practices too." She stressed that hospitals would not be able to operate as normal and that services would be working under immense pressure. However, Dr Head reassured the public that hospitals would do their best to cancel appointments only when necessary, and patients affected by the strike would be contacted to reschedule. She urged, "During the strike action it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and serious life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk."
GP and dental services are expected to operate normally with minimal impact from the strike, and patients are advised to attend appointments unless informed otherwise. For urgent medical help, NHS 111 remains available online and by phone. Dr Head cautioned, "If you come to A&E with a minor condition or illness during the strike, you are likely to face a very long wait and may be sent away to an alternative service. A&E is always there for people with serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies, like heart attacks, strokes or severe breathing difficulties."
Hospitals across the country have been bracing for the latest round of industrial action. Nick Hulme, chief executive officer of the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, shared on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that his trust was running 99% of elective operations and 97% of outpatient services during the strike, with some doctors choosing to return to work. "We are seeing a higher level of (resident doctors) coming back, and I think it reflects a kind of changing mood both for other clinical staff, but also for our resident doctors," Hulme said. He suggested that frustration with the ongoing dispute may be prompting more doctors to "vote with their feet and return to work."
The NHS has set a target to maintain at least 95% of planned activity over the five strike days, a goal that reflects both the resilience of the system and the dedication of staff who remain on duty. Nevertheless, the last time resident doctors went on strike, more than 54,000 procedures and appointments were cancelled or rescheduled, despite the NHS maintaining 93% of planned activity. Professor Meghana Pandit, national medical director of the NHS, acknowledged the toll on patients, telling BBC Breakfast, "Every strike is devastating, really, for the NHS." She urged patients to keep coming forward for care and to attend appointments unless told otherwise.
Amid the ongoing dispute, the public is being encouraged to get their free flu vaccinations if eligible and to ensure they have enough prescription medicines over the strike period. The NHS has reiterated that it will contact patients to reschedule any appointments affected by the strike and continues to urge the public to use emergency services appropriately.
With both sides expressing a desire to return to negotiations but remaining at an impasse, the future of NHS industrial relations hangs in the balance. The government is pushing for patience as it implements reforms, while doctors and their union insist that pay and training issues must be addressed more urgently. For now, patients and staff alike are left to navigate the fallout of another disruptive week in England’s healthcare system.
