Doctors warned future pay offer won’t be better and are urged to reconsider strikes

PoliticsHealth & Fitness
27 Mar 2026 • 12:06 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned resident doctors that a future pay offer will not be better than the current one, setting a deadline for them to reconsider strike action.
  • Resident doctors in England are scheduled to begin a joint-longest walkout on 7 April, marking their 15th strike since 2023.
  • Mr Streeting accused the British Medical Association's (BMA) resident doctors committee of unilaterally rejecting a deal that would have seen an average 4.9% pay rise this year, without putting it to members.
  • He cited the potential for a 'prolonged conflict' in Iran as a reason for future financial constraints, impacting any subsequent pay offers.
  • Dr Jack Fletcher of the BMA stated that the committee rejected the offer due to concerns about further pay erosion and a significant real-terms pay cut since 2008, despite the Health Secretary's claims of a 35.2% improvement over four years.