Resident doctors in England to strike for 16th time over pay

Resident doctors in England are to stage a fresh round of strikes in June.

The walkout from 07:00 BST on Monday 15 June until 06:59 Friday 19 June will be the 16th in the long-running dispute over pay.

The announcement came after a meeting on Wednesday between the British Medical Association (BMA) and new Health Secretary James Murray, who replaced Wes Streeting earlier this month.

It is understood Murray made it clear he was not willing to negotiate on pay, saying the union's demands for more money were "unrealistic and unaffordable ".

Resident doctors have received pay rises worth 33% over the past four years, including a 3.5% increase this year.

It means starting salaries are now just over £40,000, with the most senior resident doctors getting £76,500 in basic pay.

However, they can earn thousands more each year for things like working at unsociable times and doing additional hours.

But the BMA argues they are still being paid a fifth less than they were in 2008 once inflation is taken into account.

BMA resident doctor leader Dr Jack Fletcher said: "We had hoped that a change in leadership at the Department of Health and Social Care would lead to a change in approach.

"Sadly, we have run up against the same unwillingness to move we encountered under Mr Streeting.

"We were prepared to give Mr Murray time to settle into his role before completing the work his predecessor left unfinished. He had a genuine opportunity to break this logjam with fresh energy and ambition.

"He has not taken it. Instead, we are hearing the same tired line - vagueness on new jobs and no further money on the table," Dr Fletcher said.

"We cannot be asked to negotiate in good faith for weeks, only to be told there is nothing left to negotiate about on pay and no further details at this stage on jobs."

In March, ministers offered the BMA a deal which included more training jobs, faster career progression and a plan to cover out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees.

But it was rejected, and BMA members then took part in a six-day strike in April.

Murray said: "I'm disappointed that the BMA have refused to consider further discussions about how to strengthen the deal on the table and have instead rushed once again to unnecessary and unreasonable strike action.

He added: "I was clear with the BMA that after a 33.4% pay rise for resident doctors over the last four years - the highest anywhere across the public sector - the BMA's demands for further substantial pay increases this year are unrealistic, unaffordable and unsustainable."

Matthew Hopkins, of The NHS Alliance, which represents health managers, said the strike was "rash and wholly irresponsible" and would leave patients paying the price.

"It puts at risk the hard worn progress the health service has made in recent months in bringing down waiting lists and driving up productivity."