As the UK braces for what could be one of its most challenging winters in recent memory, a dramatic standoff between the government and resident doctors has thrown the National Health Service (NHS) into turmoil. A planned five-day strike by resident doctors—formerly known as junior doctors—is set to begin at 7am on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, unless a last-minute agreement can be reached. The dispute, rooted in pay and training concerns, comes at a time when hospitals are already under immense pressure from a surging flu epidemic and record patient demand.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting delivered a stark warning to Parliament on December 10, 2025, outlining the gravity of the situation. "As we head into winter, our hospitals are running hot and the pressures on the NHS are enormous. Flu season has come earlier, with a sharp rise in cases, the peak still to come, and this year’s strain more likely to affect older people more severely," Streeting told the House of Commons, according to The Independent. He revealed that flu cases were more than 50% higher than the same time last year and ten times higher than in 2023, with 95% of hospital beds already occupied and growing numbers of staff off sick.
The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents the doctors, has agreed to put a last-minute government offer to its members in an online poll, set to close on Monday, December 15. However, the union has refused to call off the strike while the vote takes place, sparking intense criticism from government officials and NHS leaders. Streeting accused the BMA of "playing games with patients’ lives," saying, "I cannot understand the wilful casualness with which the BMA has chosen to inflict this pain. It is one of the most shameful episodes in the history of the BMA," as reported by The Daily Mail.
At the heart of the dispute are two key issues: pay and access to training roles. Resident doctors have already received a 28.9% pay rise—the highest in the public sector—over the past three years. Yet, the BMA is demanding a further 29% increase, citing a 22% real-terms pay cut since 2008. The government, facing budget constraints, has refused to move further on pay this year. Streeting emphasized, "There is a gap between what the BMA is demanding and what the country can afford. Nor would further movement on pay be fair to other NHS staff, to whom I am also responsible, and many of whom will never in their careers earn as much as the lowest-paid doctor."
On the jobs front, the government has shown more flexibility. In response to what Streeting called "legitimate grievances," the latest offer includes emergency legislation to prioritize UK medical graduates and experienced NHS doctors for specialty training roles, increasing the number of specialty training posts over the next three years from 1,000 to 4,000. The offer also provides funding for mandatory examination and Royal College membership fees for resident doctors, with exam fees backdated to April 2025. Additionally, the allowance for less than full-time resident doctors, many of whom are parents and carers, will rise by 50% to £1,500, a move aimed at closing the gender pay gap.
The BMA, which has been organizing junior doctors' strikes since 2023, has said it will consult its members on the government's new deal. Dr. Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA's resident doctors' committee, stated, "This offer is the result of thousands of resident doctors showing that they are prepared to stand up for their profession and its future." If members believe the offer is sufficient, a referendum will be held to end the dispute. If not, the union will press for further government concessions.
Despite the government's offer, the union's refusal to call off the strike during the voting period has drawn fierce backlash. NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey described the looming industrial action as "cruel and calculated," intending to cause "mayhem," and estimated that each five-day walkout costs the NHS around £300 million in lost activity and payments to covering consultants. According to The Independent, NHS leaders are already being forced to cancel other doctors' leave and reschedule appointments and operations to prepare for the potential strike.
The timing could hardly be worse. Health leaders are warning of a "double-whammy" as industrial action collides with what is expected to be Britain's worst flu season in years. Bed occupancy by infected patients is higher than ever for this time of year, and at least six hospitals have declared 'critical incidents' due to overwhelming demand. Patients are being treated in corridors, waiting rooms, doubled-up cubicles, and even ambulances. During a similar five-day strike in August, thousands of NHS appointments were cancelled, and the prospect of another round of disruption has left many patients and staff anxious about the weeks ahead.
The government has attempted to offer flexibility, with Streeting proposing to extend the BMA's strike mandate, allowing the union to postpone industrial action until the end of January if members reject the deal. This, he argued, would have avoided chaos during the busiest time of year for the NHS. However, the BMA declined, insisting on keeping the original strike dates unless members accept the offer outright.
Underlying the dispute are broader issues of workforce planning and the impact of post-Brexit immigration changes. Streeting blamed Conservative predecessors for creating training bottlenecks, noting that the number of applicants for specialty training places has soared from 12,000 for 9,000 places in 2019 to nearly 40,000 for 10,000 places in 2025. "It used to be the case that UK graduates competed among themselves for specialty roles. Now they are competing against the world’s doctors. That is a direct result of the visa and immigration changes made by the previous Conservative government post-Brexit," Streeting told MPs.
Taxpayers spend £4 billion annually on training medics, yet many leave the NHS or work abroad due to limited opportunities and dissatisfaction with working conditions. The government’s proposed reforms aim to reverse this trend by prioritizing homegrown talent and making specialty training more accessible to UK graduates.
As the deadline for the BMA’s online poll approaches, the future remains uncertain. NHS Confederation and NHS Providers have both expressed deep concern about the timing of the strikes and urged BMA members to "seize the moment and bring this damaging dispute to an end." Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, warned, "We are concerned it could put patient safety at risk." Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, echoed these sentiments, describing the strikes as "disruptive and distressing for patients and divisive for staff, and come at a huge cost to the NHS."
For now, the power to avert a crisis lies in the hands of resident doctors themselves. As Streeting put it, "Resident doctors face a choice: To continue the damaging industrial action in which everyone loses. Or to choose more jobs, better career progression, more money in their pockets, and an end to strikes." The coming days will determine whether the NHS can find a way through this winter storm—or whether patients and staff alike will be left to weather the fallout.
