Doctors return to work in England after a five-day strike

Hospitals in England are working to send patients home for Christmas and recover from the disruption caused by five days of doctors’ strikes.

Resident doctors – formerly called junior doctors – are returning to work after a strike over ongoing disputes over pay.

Thousands of elective and outpatient appointments were canceled as senior doctors were redeployed to cover emergencies and urgent care. The NHS Confederation, which represents hospital trusts, says the full impact on patients is still being assessed.

The strike continued amid increasing influenza cases, and Despite last minute talks Between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government.

BMA members have rejected a new government offer aimed at addressing training and job security issues.

Health Minister Wes Streeting said he would like to see an end to the dispute by the new year.

Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said the union was keen to get around the table with Mr Streeting.

“2026 should see less name-calling and more deal-making,” he said. “What we need is the right solution to this jobs crisis and a credible path towards restoring the lost value of the profession.”

“This must mean truly creating new jobs, and could involve a responsible, multi-year approach to restoring doctors’ wages.”

The Doctors Syndicate said that 65% of its members participated in the fourteenth strike since March 2023.

The Doctors Syndicate said that the wages of resident doctors are still one-fifth lower than they were in 2008, due to inflation. This year they received an average pay increase of 5.4%.

During a visit to an ambulance station in London last week, Streeting said: “I want to end this conflict.

He added: “I don’t want us to be stuck in a bitter dispute, I will never close the door to talks, and I will do my best to see if we can start 2026 better.”

But Streeting said the BMA “is asking for an additional 26% on top of what we have already provided.”

He added, “This is not a number we can afford, but we will meet with them again at the table in the new year.”

Health experts warned that the impact of the strike would be felt in the new year “and beyond.”

Hospitals are now working to safely discharge as many patients home for Christmas as possible, Louise Stead, group chief executive of Ashford and St Peter’s and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trusts, told BBC Radio 4 today.

“After five days, we have a lot of very exhausted senior doctors who we now want to focus on making sure patients are discharged at Christmas and reducing our bed occupancy.”

Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the strike as “dangerous and completely irresponsible” especially during the record flu season at the start of winter.

During the strike, the BMA said it would work with NHS bosses to ensure safety in hospitals and other parts of the health service.

While the NHS remains on high alert over flu, the rise of the virus is slowing, at least for now. The BBC reported on Friday that just over 3,000 patients were hospitalized in England due to the virus.

In Scotland, resident doctors are scheduled to strike from January 13-17. This will be the first time NHS workers have staged a national strike.