Junior doctors launch new wave of strike days ahead of General Election

The BMA junior doctor committee say doctors have been left with 'no choice' but to strike after a 'refusal' from the PM to meet pay demands, ITV News Political Correspondent Carl Dinnen reports

Junior doctors have announced a fresh wave of industrial action in the run up to the General Election, as part of their long-running battle over pay.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said a "refusal" from Rishi Sunak to meet junior doctor demands and a lack of a "credible offer" has prompted the latest action.

After the general election was called, BMA officials said they approached the government with a "final opportunity" to make an offer and avoid strikes.

Speaking to ITV News, Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairman of the BMA junior doctors committee said doctors have been left with 'no choice' but to strike again and that they would be willing to work with any government to secure a better deal going forward

Committee co-chairmen Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said: “We made clear to the government that we would strike unless discussions ended in a credible pay offer.

“For more than 18 months we have been asking Rishi Sunak to put forward proposals to restore the pay junior doctors have lost over the past 15 years – equal to more than a quarter in real terms."

Junior doctors in England will strike from 7am on June 27 until 7am on July 2.

Dr Laurenson and Dr Trivedi added: “When we entered mediation with the government this month we did so under the impression that we had a functioning government that would soon be making an offer.

"Clearly no offer is now forthcoming. Junior doctors are fed up and out of patience.

“Even at this late stage Mr (Rishi) Sunak has the opportunity to show that he cares about the NHS and its workers. It is finally time for him to make a concrete commitment to restore doctors’ pay.

"If during this campaign he makes such a public commitment that is acceptable to the BMA’s junior doctors committee, then no strikes need go ahead.”

ITV News Political Correspondent Romilly Weeks reports from the Prime Minister's campaign route on how his plans have been derailed by strikes and what they could mean in the run up to the General Election

And, while BMA blame is being levelled at Rishi Sunak's Conservative government for not uprating junior doctors pay, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said Labour also wouldn't be able to award a full pay rise to junior doctors "on day one".

Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Mr Streeting said: “I want to be really upfront with junior doctors this side of the election – the 35% pay claim they’ve put in, I’m just not going to be able to afford that on day one of a Labour government.

“We’re going to have to work together and negotiate on pay and recognise, as was the case with the last Labour government who inherited a similar mess, getting to fair pay is a journey not an event, and I am willing to negotiate on pay and those wider conditions that junior doctors are working.”

He went on: “I’m willing to sit down and negotiate on those wider conditions so that junior doctors are genuinely valued and and look forward to a career in the NHS rather than thinking about whether they’re going to stick it out because things are so terrible.”

Mr Streeting added: “We didn’t have national strikes under the last Labour government; this is another symptom of Conservative failure.”

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins challenged Labour to condemn the junior doctors’ decision to strike during the election campaign, stating the decision by junior doctors was a "highly cynical tactic".

Writing on X, Atkins said: “Today should be the day the Labour Party finally condemn junior doctor strikes.

“Announcing this during an election and on Labour’s health day shows this was only ever political and not about patients or staff.”

She went on to say the Tory government made tough decisions to keep down public spending, adding: “Labour would be in the hands of their union paymasters – meaning more spending and higher taxes.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Patient safety will be the priority during industrial action and the NHS will prepare for these strikes in the usual way.

“It will work closely with unions to discuss any patient safety concerns and ensure safe staffing for emergency care continues to be available.”

Have you heard our new podcast Talking Politics? Every week Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda…