Health Secretary Wes Streeting has launched his most forceful attack yet on the British Medical Association (BMA), accusing the doctors' union of behaving like a cartel and imperiling the future of the NHS. Speaking ahead of a five-day strike by resident doctors, the 13th since March 2023, Streeting urged the BMA to "get real" and affirmed that ministers would not be "held to ransom" by their pay demands.

The Health Secretary's comments, made at the NHS Providers Conference in Manchester, were met with applause from NHS leaders. He asserted that the BMA is no longer a professional voice for doctors, highlighting its "cartel-like behaviour" which he believes threatens not only the recovery of the NHS under the current government but the entire future of the health service. Streeting deemed this position "morally reprehensible," especially given the imminent winter pressures on the NHS.

Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, are demanding a further 26% pay uplift to counteract the real-terms erosion of their salaries since 2008. This is despite having received a 28.9% pay increase over the last three years. Streeting stated there would be no further movement on pay, criticizing the union for rejecting a government offer without even presenting it to its members. He noted that resident doctors constitute approximately half of all doctors within the NHS.

Streeting also raised concerns about public finances, pointing out that while the BMA demands higher salaries for doctors, its consultants' committee and pensions committee are among the most effective lobbyists against higher taxes for wealthier individuals. He questioned this stance, suggesting the BMA effectively expects "other people to pay the higher salaries for doctors" while opposing higher taxation for medics themselves. He underlined the need for realism regarding system challenges, public finances, and the struggles faced by every family.

The Health Secretary highlighted the broader NHS workforce, which totals 1.5 million people. He noted that many staff members have not received pay rises comparable to resident doctors and, at the peak of their careers, may never earn as much as the lowest-paid doctor. According to figures, the average salary for doctors in England is £88,269, with consultants earning typically £127,540, while resident doctors' basic salaries range from £38,831 to £73,992 before overtime.

Streeting warned of the severe consequences of the strike action, stating it causes "untold misery and disruption to patients" and places "untold pressure on other NHS staff who are picking up the pieces." NHS trust leaders expressed significant anxiety about the disruption to patient care, with one chief executive cautioning that strikes could lead to preventable deaths. Furthermore, Streeting invoked a political warning, suggesting that if the BMA continues its current trajectory, a less "pro-doctor, pro-NHS" government, such as "Nigel Farage and the Reform Party," might be waiting in the wings.