Resident doctors in England have voted in favour of strike action, the British Medical Association (BMA) has announced.
The term “resident doctor” replaced “junior doctors” last year, in a bid to better reflect their expertise and responsibilities.
Doctors and teachers in England and Wales were offered a 4% pay rise by the government, 2.8% above what it had originally budgeted and just above the current rate of inflation.
But both the British Medical Association (BMA) and National Education Union (NEU) threatened strike action following the announcement, claiming the increases did not account for historical pay freezes.
The BMA is calling for a salary increase of 29.2% to bring salaries back to “full pay restoration”. The union argues this is the level at which pay has declined in real terms since 2008, when adjusting for inflation.
Turnout for the vote stood at 55%. More than 26,000 resident doctors voted in favour of strikes, while just under 3,000 voted against.
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“It’s time for Wes Streeting to find a credible path to pay restoration,” the BMA said.
“Failing that, we’ll be calling for a strike of resident doctors across England, with dates to follow.”
In a video, shared on social media, representatives for the BMA confirmed “strike planning is already underway” and dates could be announced “very soon”.
Other NHS workers in England, including nurses, midwives, and physiotherapists, will get a 3.6% pay increase effective from 1 April, the Health Secretary previously said.
“It’s time for Wes Streeting to find a credible path to pay restoration,” the BMA said. “Failing that, we’ll be calling for a strike of resident doctors across England, with dates to follow.”
Last year, the government offered resident doctors a 22% pay rise to end months of strike action.
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While this was the highest public sector pay award in recent years, the BMA emphasised it was only a partial restoration, and not the full amount needed to fully bring pay back in line with previous levels.
