Doctors in England accept pay deal, ending strike action

LONDON: Doctors in England below consultant level have voted to accept a pay and conditions package, ending a prolonged period of industrial action, the UK government said on Monday.

Under the agreement, resident doctors will receive an average pay rise of 6.6 percent, to be put in place by April 2027. The Department of Health said the package would leave doctors in this group earning more than 35 percent more on average than they did four years earlier.

The deal also includes the creation of 4,500 additional specialty training places over the next three years. The government said the settlement closes a dispute that had led to repeated stoppages in England’s health service.

Health Secretary James Murray said the agreement would help the National Health Service move beyond the disruption caused by the walkouts. "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," said Health Secretary James Murray.

Resident doctors have taken part in 21 days of strike action since July last year. Overall, they have walked out 15 times in a little over three years.

The dispute continued after Labour defeated the Conservatives in July 2024 on a pledge to bring the strikes to an end. However, the government and doctors had remained at odds over demands for higher pay, with medics arguing that inflation had eroded their earnings in real terms.

Thousands of doctors had been due to begin a four-day strike on June 15, which would have marked the 16th round of industrial action since 2023. That stoppage was withdrawn on June 13 after the latest offer was presented.

The development comes as Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation last Monday and is expected to leave office in mid-July.