Doctors urged to back down as strikes continue despite 6% pay offer

A Government minister has called on junior doctors to reconsider their strike action, even after being presented with a "final" pay offer of 6%. The British Medical Association (BMA) has refused to call off the strike, stating that doctors are committed to their cause.

This comes after the Prime Minister accepted the recommendations of independent pay review bodies. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced salary increases of up to 7% for public sector workers, with hopes that this deal will bring an end to the ongoing dispute.

On Friday, pressure mounted on doctors as Education Secretary Gillian Keegan echoed Mr Sunak's call, criticising their initial demand for a 35% pay rise as "unreasonable." Keegan expressed her concerns about rising inflation and urged doctors to take a more realistic approach to negotiations.

In an interview with LBC Radio, Keegan said: "We all understand there's been inflation and there's been a huge spike in inflation. And that's impacting all of us. That's why the main goal is to halve inflation. You can't chase it. I would urge them to take the same approach as everybody else actually."

Keegan further emphasised that junior doctors are not unique in facing inflationary pressures. However, the doctors remain steadfast in their wage dispute and continue their strike, now in its second day out of five.

Professor Philip Banfield, Chairman of the BMA Council, expressed his belief that further strikes are highly likely. He highlighted the harm being caused to patients due to the underfunding of the National Health Service and stated that doctors are committed to fighting for the long-term improvement of the NHS.

Despite the ongoing strike, Mr Sunak maintains that the pay offers to public