Five days of strike action by resident doctors began today after talks with the government broke down, putting thousands of NHS appointments and procedures at risk. Do you support their decision to walk out?
NHS services are expected to face significant disruption as resident doctors launched the first of five days of industrial action today.
Previous walkouts saw hundreds of thousands of appointments and procedures cancelled – and we want to know if you support the strikes by taking our poll below. Negotiations between the British Medical Association (BMA) and Health Secretary Wes Streeting broke down earlier this week without reaching an agreement. As a result, resident doctors – previously known as junior doctors – began their walkout across England at 7am today, continuing until 7am on Wednesday.
Mr Streeting has pledged to maintain NHS services with as little disruption as possible, and NHS England has instructed hospitals to cancel treatments only in exceptional cases. Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a last-minute plea last night, calling on doctors to reconsider the strike.
Meanwhile, Mr Streeting said the government is “doing all it can over this strike period to minimise patient harm and disruption”. But he warned: “There is no getting around the fact that these strikes will hit the progress we are making in turning the NHS around.”
What do you think? Are doctors right to strike, or should they seek other ways to resolve their dispute? Take our poll below, and if you can’t see it click here
In a personal letter to doctors, Mr Starmer added: “I deeply regret the position we now find ourselves in. The public, and I am sure many of you, do not understand the rush to strike action.”
Resident doctors received an average pay rise of 5.4% for 2025/26, consisting of a 4% salary increase and a £750 lump sum payment. This came after a 22% pay boost covering the period from 2023 to 2025, which brought an end to months of industrial action under the previous Conservative government last summer.
But the BMA said Mr Streeting had failed to address concerns over pay erosion between 2008 and 2025 due to historic freezes. BMA resident doctors committee co-chairs Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt said: “Mr Streeting had every opportunity to prevent this strike going ahead but he chose not to take it. That said, we want these strikes to be the last we ever have to participate in.
“We are asking Mr Streeting to get back around the table with a serious proposal as soon as possible – this time with the intent to bring this to a just conclusion.” Do you agree with doctors going on strike? Take our poll above and expand on your decision in the comments below.
READ MORE: Join our Mirror politics WhatsApp group to get the latest updates from Westminster