Resident doctors in England are set to undertake their fifteenth round of industrial action since 2023, with a walkout commencing tomorrow at 7 am and lasting until next Monday at 7 am. The timing of this strike, strategically aligned with Easter and school holidays, has been openly discussed by medics as an opportunity for "10 days off" and to "save childcare." Social media posts from striking doctors have celebrated the timing, with one describing it as "chef's kiss after a four-day bank holiday weekend." Some expressed anticipation that the extended break would lead to high picket line attendance, while others noted the advantage of trusts incurring higher locum rates for consultant cover and an increased likelihood of elective work cancellations.

This latest round of strikes is anticipated to significantly impact the NHS, with projected costs exceeding £250 million in lost activity and overtime payments. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has strongly criticized the British Medical Association (BMA), accusing medics of inflicting "misery" on patients and impeding efforts to fix the NHS. He condemned the BMA's Resident Doctors Committee for rejecting a recent pay offer and immediately announcing this six-day strike, designed to cause "maximum disruption to patients" directly after the Easter weekend.

The government's proposed pay deal, which the BMA rejected, would have seen an average 4.9 per cent pay rise for doctors, bringing their total pay increase over the past three years to 35 per cent. First-year junior doctors, whose starting salaries have already increased from £25,209 to £40,190 over the past 16 years, would have seen an additional £1,100, pushing their starting salaries to approximately £41,226 if the offer had been accepted. As a direct consequence of the ongoing industrial action, the Department of Health and Social Care has announced that an offer of 1,000 extra training places for speciality doctors will no longer be "financially or operationally" feasible. NHS England has stated that hospital teams are working to minimize disruption but expects this walkout to be particularly challenging due to a shorter notice period. Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA's resident doctors’ committee, stated their willingness to end industrial action but noted a lack of reciprocal willingness from the government.

Adding a layer of controversy, staff employed by the BMA itself are preparing to strike over their own pay dispute, highlighting what critics, including Wes Streeting, describe as "hypocrisy." The union is offering its own staff a 2.75 per cent pay rise while simultaneously demanding a 26 per cent increase for resident doctors, on top of the 28.9 per cent they have received over the last three years. This stance comes despite the BMA's latest published accounts showing substantial financial reserves, including £57 million in the bank and £230 million in net assets. GMB Regional Organiser Donna Thomas pointed out that BMA staff, who have seen their wages erode by nearly 17 per cent, will be on their own picket lines on April 6th and 7th, fighting for pay restoration after yet another sub-inflationary offer, rather than joining the resident doctors' strike.