Doctors say there is 'window of opportunity' to stop upcoming NHS strikes

Doctors have said there is a “window of opportunity” to prevent them going on strikeafter "constructive" talks with Government.

TheBritish Medical Association met Health Secretary Wes Streeting in crux talks in Westminster on Thursday sparking hopes a planned five-day walkout next week could be avoided. More meetings between resident doctors and Mr Streeting are planned in the coming days to try to prevent the strike which would see thousands of operationscancelled in England from July 25. Doctors refused to reveal what “creative solutions” could see them call off the strike but student loan forgiveness and better expenses during training are thought to be on the table.

Speaking after talks outside Parliament, Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, co-chair of the resident doctors committee, said: “We have a very small window of opportunity in the next few days to strike action. We are looking forward to more discussions in the coming days because no-one wants strikes; patients don’t want strikes, we don’t want strikes and the Government doesn’t want strikes.”

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Mr Streeting and BMA negotiators met for two hours before announcing a glimmer of hope in the bitter dispute despite the Government refusing to budge on its headline pay deal for 2025/26. This consisted of a 4% uplift plus £750 "on a consolidated basis" - working out as an average rise of 5.4%.

Dr Nieuwoudt said: “We had an open and frank conversation. There was openness on both sides to discuss options to increase the value of being a doctor in this country. I think the fact that there was a genuine engagement, an exploration of these things at a high level, fills us with hope that in the next few days, potentially, we can find a way to avoid strikes.”

Resident doctors - those below the level of consultant and previously known as junior doctors - staged 11 strikes, over 44 days, during 2023 and 2024. After Labour came to power in 2024 they voted to accept a pay deal worth 22.3% on average over two years.

Polling shows previously strong approval by voters for strikes by resident doctors has halved from 52% a year ago to just 26%.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “We had a constructive conversation with the BMA today and we’ll be having further conversations in the coming days to try to avert strike action.

“While we cannot move on pay after a 28.9% pay rise, we are working on areas where we can improve working lives for resident doctors.

“Strikes have a serious cost for patients, so I am appealing to the BMA to call them off and instead work together to improve their members’ working conditions and continue rebuilding the NHS.”

Mr Streeting has warned the strike risks the “fragile” recovery of the NHS after a decade of decline under the Tories.

The Government has insisted it can not reopen the headline pay deal but is willing to negotiate on working conditions, such as pensions and how quickly doctors can progress through pay bands in their careers.