"This should not have been left to the last moment"
A planned four-day strike by resident doctors in England has been called off after the government made a new offer covering pay, jobs and career progression.
The industrial action, organised by the British Medical Association (BMA), had been due to begin at 7 am on June 15 and run until 6:59 am on June 19.
It would have been the 16th strike by resident doctors since 2023.
The BMA said its members will now vote on the proposed deal, which follows fresh negotiations with the government.
Health Secretary James Murray welcomed the decision to suspend the walkout and said the government could not justify further pay increases beyond those already awarded.
He said: “After a 28.9% pay rise for resident doctors over the last three years, the country simply cannot afford to increase the pay offer for this year.
“I am pleased that the BMA have recognised this, which has allowed us to make progress in other areas, such as training places and working conditions.”
Mr Murray described the proposal as a “good deal for resident doctors” that “boosts their pay”, adding that “all the necessary funding is coming from existing budgets”.
The offer is understood to include standard 2016 resident doctor contract terms for all locally employed doctors and an average 6.6% pay uplift, which would be fully implemented by April 2027.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said the union remained committed to negotiations but warned that industrial action could return if members reject the deal.
He said “we will always negotiate in good faith and strikes are a last resort”, but the government had changed its stance.
He added: “This should not have been left to the last moment, but we hold up our end of the bargain when the government shifts its position.
“All we have asked for is a fair offer that secures enough jobs to tackle the madness of doctor unemployment and take steps to address the erosion of our pay.
“Tens of thousands of frontline doctors will now vote in a referendum on whether this offer is sufficient.”
The cancelled walkout would have come during a period of increased pressure on the NHS.
Earlier this month, NHS England national medical director Professor Frankie Swords warned the health service faced a “triple whammy of pressure” because the planned strike coincided with warm weather and the World Cup.
The previous resident doctors’ strike lasted six days over the Easter holiday.
Despite the breakthrough, the dispute has not been fully resolved. The BMA said further industrial action remains possible if members reject the proposal.
Dr Fletcher said the union “will have to continue our plans for further escalated action” if the offer fails to secure support.
The current strike mandate remains in place until August.
Separate pay disputes are also continuing across other parts of the medical profession. Ballots are underway for consultants and SAS (Specialist, Associate Specialist and Specialty) doctors in England after the BMA rejected a 3.5% pay offer.
In Northern Ireland, BMA members have already backed strike action over the same offer, which they argue amounts to “pay erosion”.
Resident doctors in Northern Ireland are scheduled to walk out for 24 hours on June 29. Consultants and SAS doctors are also set to reduce services to “Christmas Day cover” for 24 hours on June 25.
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