Resident doctors vote to go on strike in England as hospitals battle flu wave

This week's five-day doctor strike in England will go ahead after British Medical Association members voted to continue with a planned walkout despite a new offer from the government.

The strike by resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, is due to start at 07:00 on Wednesday with ministers warning patients will be put at risk because of the huge pressures on hospitals which are battling a wave of flu.

Some 83% voted for the strike to go ahead in the online poll held over the weekend.

The BMA agreed to the snap poll last week after the government came forward with a fresh deal which included increasing speciality training posts and covering out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees.

But it did not include any promises on pay – Health Secretary Wes Streeting has maintained he will not negotiate on that after resident doctors pay has been increased by nearly 30% in the past three years.

The union argues that, despite the pay rises, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

This will be the 14th strike in the long-running dispute which began in March 2023.

Resident doctors, which represent nearly half the medical workforce, will walk out of both emergency and non-urgent care. Senior doctors will be drafted in to provide cover.