Doctors return to work in England after five-day strike

Hospitals in England are working to get patients home for Christmas and recover from disruption caused by five days of doctor strikes.

Resident doctors – previously called junior doctors – are returning to work after a walkout over ongoing pay disputes.

Thousands of elective and outpatient appointments were cancelled as senior doctors were redeployed to cover emergency and urgent care. The NHS Confederation, which represents hospital trusts, says the full impact on patients is still being assessed.

The strike went ahead amid surging flu cases, and despite last-minute talks between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government.

BMA members rejected a new government offer that aimed to tackle issues with training and job security.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said he would like to see an end to the dispute by the new year.

Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the resident doctors committee at the BMA, said the union is keen to get round the table with Mr Streeting.

He said: “2026 must see less name-calling and more deal-making. What we need is a proper fix to this jobs crisis and a credible path towards restoring the lost value of the profession.

“That must mean the creation of genuinely new jobs and it could involve a responsible multi-year approach to restoring doctors’ pay.”

The doctors’ union said 65% of its members had participated in what was the 14th strike since March 2023.

The doctors’ union has argued that resident doctors’ pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, due to inflation. This year, they received an average pay rise of 5.4%.

During a visit to an ambulance station in London last week, Streeting said: “I do want to end this dispute.

“I don’t want us to be locked in a bitter dispute, and I’m never going to shut the door to talks, and I will do my best to see if we can start 2026 off on a better foot.”

But, Streeting said, the BMA is “demanding an extra 26% on top of what we’ve already given”.

“That is not a figure that we can afford but we will get around the table with them again in the new year,” he added.

Health experts have warned that the impact of the strike will be felt into the new year “and beyond”.

Louise Stead, Group Chief Executive of Ashford and St Peter’s and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trusts, told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today Programme hospitals were now working to safely discharge as many patients home for Christmas as possible.

“After five days we have got a lot of very exhausted senior doctors who we now want to pivot into making sure we get patients out for Christmas and reduce our bed occupancy.”

Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the walkout “dangerous and utterly irresponsible” particularly during a record flu season for the start of winter.

During the walkout, the BMA said they would work with NHS bosses to ensure safety in hospitals and other parts of the health service.

While the NHS remains on high alert over flu, the surge in the virus is slowing for now at least. The BBC reported on Friday just over 3,000 patients were in hospital in England with the virus.

Meanwhile in Scotland, residential doctors are set to strike from 13 January to 17 January. It will be the first time NHS workers have staged a national walkout.