Resident doctors strike over ongoing pay disputes

Doctors across a county have started a five-day strike action over an ongoing dispute about pay.

A picket line was formed outside of Addenbrooke's Hospital, in Cambridge, on Wednesday, as resident doctors began their 14th walkout since March 2023.

Hannah Copley, 35, a doctor at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, said: "We just want to get doctors the jobs they deserve, get their pay in line with inflation."

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the strike had been timed to inflict the most damage on the NHS and put patients at risk.

The walkout by resident doctors began at 07:00 on Wednesday and brought the number of disruptions to 59 days.

The strike went ahead after last-minute talks between the government and union broke down without an agreement on Tuesday.

It comes at a point where hospitals said they have been dealing with surging numbers of people with flu.

Edward Morris, the regional medical director for the NHS in the East of England, said: "These latest strikes come at what's the busiest time of the year for the NHS, putting further pressure on an already very busy service."

Dr Morris said teams were working to "maintain care and limit disruption" and encouraged patients to attend appointments unless they have been contacted.

Dr Copley, who graduated from medical school in 2014, said the government's offer was "very poor".

"We are asking the government to fix the crisis of jobs, not let doctors who want to work contribute to the NHS be unemployed, and have our pay keep up with inflation," said Dr Copley.

She said the government needed to give the resident doctors a "credible offer".

Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, make up nearly half of all doctors working in the NHS.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said the action had been backed by 83% of its members.

Nick Singh, resident doctor at Addenbrooke's Hospital, said he had wanted to be a doctor since he was a child.

He said: "I did not think that coming into this job we would be coming into a system as broken that it is."

Dr Singh said people were undertaking strike action as they needed a "credible offer on doctors pay and jobs".

Alex Boulton, a member of the BMA Resident Doctors' Committee for the East of England, said: "Winter is always going to be a difficult time with strikes, but we are really grateful as previous strikes over the winter period have been safe."

Dr Boulton said doctors had "overwhelmingly" voted against a government offer.

"The simple fact is if you are not moving on pay you will not settle a pay dispute," he said.

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