Junior doctors to stage strikes after talks with government break down

Junior doctors in England will strike in December and January following unsuccessful talks between the doctors' union and the government. The British Medical Association (BMA) has been in negotiations with ministers for five weeks, trying to resolve a pay dispute.

The BMA stated that the Department for Health and Social Care failed to present a credible offer to end the strikes. As a result the BMA's junior doctors committee unanimously voted for strikes in December and January.

The strikes are scheduled to take place from 7am on December 20 to 7am on December 23 2023, and from 7am on January 3 to 7am on January 9 2024.

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BMA junior doctors committee co-chairmen Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said in a statement: "We have been clear from the outset of these talks that we needed to move at pace and if we did not have a credible offer, we would be forced to call strikes."

"After five weeks of intense talks, the Government was unable to present a credible offer on pay by the deadline."

"Instead, we were offered an additional 3%, unevenly spread across doctors' grades, which would still amount to pay cuts for many doctors this year. It is clear the Government is still not prepared to address the real-terms pay cut doctors have experienced since 2008."

"It is a great shame that even though the approach was more constructive, there was not enough on offer to shape a credible deal, which we hoped would end the dispute."

"Without enough progress by the deadline, we have no choice but to take action that demonstrates doctors are as determined