Streeting has previously criticized the strikes, calling the doctors “self-indulgent, irresponsible and dangerous” amid rising hospital admissions linked to a flu surge. He said his door remains open to talks aimed at ending what he described as “these damaging cycles of disruption” and added, “I do not want to see a single day of industrial action in the NHS in 2026 and will be doing everything I can to make this a reality.” Negotiations with the British Medical Association (BMA) are set to resume early next year.

BMA chair Jack Fletcher said the union wants “less name-calling and more deal-making” next year, urging the government to create new jobs and set out a multi-year plan to restore pay. He added, “Strikes were not inevitable in 2025 and they are not in 2026 either.”

The strikes added pressure to the NHS, which is facing a surge in flu cases. Hospitalisations in England rose more than 50% in early December, averaging 2,660 patients per day—the highest for this period.

The strike follows unsuccessful negotiations with the government, with the British Medical Association (BMA) stating that no “credible plan” has been provided to address employment issues for newly qualified doctors and years of real-term pay reductions.

Last year, the Labour government agreed to a 22% pay increase for doctors, aiming to resolve a series of strikes under the previous Conservative government. However, doctors returned to industrial action this year after requesting a higher increase than the 5.4% offered in the latest pay round. The government cited financial constraints in declining the additional request.

The BMA said the strike will involve resident doctors, who make up nearly half of the medical workforce, and will take place from 6 a.m. GMT on November 14 to 5:59 a.m. GMT on November 19. The union is seeking a 29% pay increase to restore wages to 2008 levels and highlighted that many second-year doctors are struggling to find employment despite staff shortages.

Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said the union had limited options after what it viewed as insufficient government proposals. Health Minister Wes Streeting responded by describing the strike as “unreasonable and unnecessary” and encouraged the union to call it off, emphasising that the government cannot offer further pay increases this year.