Resident doctors in England call for renewed talks as strikes conclude

Resident doctors in England have urged Health Secretary Wes Streeting to return to the negotiating table after the latest round of strike action ended, calling for constructive talks to address workforce shortages and pay erosion.

In a letter sent to the Health Secretary as the strikes concluded, the BMA’s Resident Doctors Committee said last-minute discussions ahead of the industrial action showed that progress is possible, but came too late to prevent disruption.

The committee said it now wants to continue talks in the same “constructive spirit” to find a lasting solution that could prevent further strikes.

BMA Resident Doctors Committee chair Dr Jack Fletcher said the priority must be tackling the jobs crisis facing doctors and securing a credible path to restoring pay.

He said: “Mr Streeting has indicated he is willing to get round the table and we’re keen to engage with that. 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. Those are solutions that mean we can build out our future workforce to end the current crisis, solutions which are very much within Government’s power.

“Doctors are frustrated by the year that has just passed. There have been plenty of opportunities for strike action to have been avoided but all too often the Government has moved too little and too late. Nevertheless, the tone of the conversations we had at the eleventh hour before these strikes were cause for optimism that the Government is finally understanding the frustrations of resident doctors in England. We are going into the New Year with a renewed can-do spirit, and we hope Mr Streeting will do the same.

“Doctors have made their determination very clear in last week’s vote to reject the Government offer, then on the picket line. Now they are being asked to ballot for six months’ more industrial action. But a renewed mandate need never be used if we can use this time for constructive conversations and ultimately a good deal. Strikes were not inevitable in 2025 and they are not in 2026 either.”