Doctors' 13th Strike 'Completely Irresponsible', Health Secretary Warns — NHS Faces £240m Bill

Health secretary condemns 13th doctors' strike as "completely irresponsible"

Health Secretary Wes Streeting sharply criticised the latest industrial action by resident doctors — the 13th strike in an ongoing pay and training dispute — calling the five-day walkout in England "unnecessary" and "completely irresponsible." The action runs until 07:00 on Wednesday and, he said, is causing disruption to patients and significant costs to taxpayers.

NHS England says most services will continue and patients should attend appointments unless told otherwise, but hospitals are expected to be hit hardest: resident doctors (the new name for junior doctors) account for about half of hospital medical staffing.

How the NHS is coping

To limit disruption, NHS England aims to keep roughly 95% of non-urgent activity — for example hip and knee operations — running by redeploying staff, offering overtime to consultants and senior doctors, and relying on those resident doctors not taking part in the action (about one in three are not BMA members). The health service estimates the five-day walkout will cost around £240m to cover extra staffing and contingency measures.

"They are voting with their feet and returning to work," said Nick Hulme, chief executive of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, describing redeployment plans and careful rota management as ways to "minimise" disruption.

Dr Tom Dolphin, chair of the BMA Council, said the union and government have "reached an impasse" over pay and training opportunities. He argued that, even after recent increases, doctors' pay is still around a fifth lower than in 2008 once inflation is taken into account, and that a "bottleneck" is leaving many doctors unable to secure specialist or GP training posts.

There were more than 30,000 applicants this year for roughly 10,000 training places at the key transition into specialty training, the BMA notes — a mix of UK and international applicants that highlights pressure on training capacity.

Impact on patients and responses

Some patients have already experienced cancellations. Colette Houlihan, 68, from Cambridgeshire, had a pre-surgery appointment postponed to late December while waiting for removal of a benign neck tumour; she described feeling "furious," saying the strikes delay procedures and cause distress.

Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England medical director, called the action "frustrating and disappointing" at a difficult time for the service, with flu cases rising. She praised staff efforts to maintain care and limit disruption.

The BMA stresses that doctors have a legal right to strike and that members should not be "bullied or coerced" into abandoning picket lines; the union says pickets will only be stood down for major emergencies such as mass-casualty events.

Politics and negotiations

Addressing health managers this week, Mr Streeting attacked the BMA, calling it "morally reprehensible," accusing it of acting "like a cartel" and alleging it was attempting to hold the public and government to ransom. He pointed to pay rises awarded over the past three years — nearly 30% in headline terms — which he said have raised average basic salaries to just over £54,000.

Talks collapsed after the BMA rejected a renewed offer last week. Streeting has said the government cannot reopen talks on headline pay but proposed a package to cover some out-of-pocket costs (for example, exam and membership fees) and to expand specialty training places. The BMA maintains that restoring pay and resolving the training "jobs crisis" are essential to retain doctors and secure future specialists and GPs.

Key facts:

• Strike length: five days in England, until 07:00 Wednesday.
• Estimated cost to NHS: £240m for cover and contingency.
• NHS aim: keep ~95% of non-urgent activity running via redeployment and overtime.
• BMA concerns: pay still ~20% below 2008 value after inflation; training bottleneck with ~30,000 applicants for ~10,000 places.