After months of trying to find common ground with the government, resident doctors—previously known as junior doctors—are once again preparing to take action.
Despite earlier promises and pay bumps, many in the medical profession say their demands are being ignored, and they’re not staying quiet about it.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has now confirmed that doctors will vote on whether to go on strike, citing ongoing dissatisfaction with how the government is handling pay negotiations.
Ballot Set to Open as Doctors Say They’ve Been Left Hanging
According to the BMA, it’s been three weeks since they last warned the government that failing to make a timely and fair pay offer would lead to consequences.
And now, they’re following through on that warning.
The union announced that a ballot for industrial action will officially open on May 27 and run until July 7. If passed, it could lead to yet another wave of walkouts from some of the NHS’s most vital workers.
A New Title, But the Same Old Pay Struggles
As part of last year’s pay deal, junior doctors were rebranded as resident doctors.
The change was meant to reflect a more professional title and was part of a wider agreement aimed at mending tensions between the government and healthcare workers.
But despite that shift, many of the core issues—especially around fair compensation—remain unsettled.
The BMA says doctors are still fighting for proper pay restoration, not just temporary fixes.
A Sit-Down with the Health Secretary That Went Nowhere
On May 2, BMA representatives met with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to try and make some progress.
Unfortunately, the meeting didn’t yield the commitment they were hoping for.
In a joint statement, Dr Melissa Ryan and Dr Ross Nieuwoudt, co-chairs of the BMA’s resident doctors’ committee, said they made one thing clear: all it would take to avoid strike action would be a promise to negotiate a fair path toward restoring pay to 2008 levels by 2027.
“He couldn’t make that commitment,” they said, adding, “Resident doctors are not going to be ignored.”
Why This Fight Matters to Doctors—and to Patients
The doctors insist this isn’t just about money—it’s about being respected and valued.
“No doctor today is worth less than they were 17 years ago,” they argued.
And voting ‘yes’ to strike action would be sending a message to the government that their work and dedication still matter.
The BMA says the preference is always to care for patients, not to keep fighting year after year for what they believe is fair compensation.
But they’re not prepared to let the issue slide either.
Labour’s Earlier Pay Offer Isn’t Easing Tensions
Back in September, Labour tried to resolve the long-running dispute by offering a 22% pay rise—a major move that was supposed to ease tensions after one of the NHS’s longest-ever industrial disputes.
That pay hike raised the starting salary for a resident doctor from £29,384 to £36,616, with more experienced doctors now making over £70,000.
But doctors say that despite those gains, the deal didn’t fully address the erosion of pay since 2008.
What’s Next?
With the ballot approaching, the coming weeks will be crucial.
If enough resident doctors vote in favour of striking, it could signal another wave of disruption for the NHS, just months after the last round of walkouts ended.
The question now is whether the government will come back to the table before July—or whether the country’s doctors will once again have to make their case on the picket line.