Resident doctors end strikes after accepting pay deal
Resident doctors in England have voted to accept an offer from the Government to improve pay and working conditions, bringing an end to strike action, the Department of Health and Social Care has said. The package includes standard 2016 resident doctor contract terms for all locally employed medics and an average 6.6% pay uplift to be fully implemented by April 2027.
In a post on X, the BMA said: "Resident doctors and final year medical students in England have voted to accept the Government’s offer on pay and jobs. With a 57% turnout, 52.9% of votes cast were in favour."
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
The BMA said 47.1% of those who took part had voted not to accept the latest offer.
Health Secretary James Murray said: "This is very good news for resident doctors, patients and the NHS as a whole, allowing us to draw a line under the disruption of previous months and focus on getting on with the job of rebuilding our health service."
He said the deal means resident doctors will benefit from a new pay structure, better career progression opportunities and a range of other improved conditions to support them as they rotate and train.
Mr Murray added: "Patients will be relieved that the NHS is entering a period of greater stability. But this is the beginning, not the end of the journey.
"I know there is much more to do and I am determined to keep working constructively with resident doctors, all NHS staff and the unions who represent them to improve their working lives and together build a health service that is fit for the future.”
The deal announced on Monday (June 29) also includes 4,500 extra specialty training places over three years and mean resident doctor pay will be 35.2% higher on average than it was four years ago, according to the Government.
During the dispute, there have been 21 days of strike action by the British Medical Association (BMA) Resident Doctor Committee since July 2025.
Thousands of resident doctors in England were set to stage a four-day walkout on June 15, which would have been the sixteenth round of strike action since 2023. It was called off on June 13 after the offer was made.
The online vote ran from June 18 to June 26. The BMA had threatened that if resident doctors chose to reject the deal, strikes would "have to escalate in intensity".
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the deal. He said it will see better pay progression, career opportunities and working conditions for resident doctors.
The PM added: "Together, we can get on with delivering for patients and cutting (sic) waiting lists."
Stuart Andrew MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: "Many will be relieved that these strikes are finally coming to an end, but at what cost?
"This is the second consecutive year that Labour has had to make major concessions to end these strikes, and the BMA is already planning further industrial action.
"Only the Conservatives have the team, the plan and the leader with the backbone to ban doctors' strikes once and for all."