Overview
- Resident doctors, the hospital medics formerly called junior doctors, will walk out for six days in England, with the BMA saying Wednesday the stoppage will run from 7am Tuesday, April 7, to 6.59am Monday, April 13.
- After accepting the pay review body’s 3.5% uplift for 2026/27, Health Secretary Wes Streeting gave the BMA committee until next Thursday to rethink, warning any future offer would be worse and that extras like 1,000 near‑term training places could be pulled.
- The BMA says the government moved the goalposts by phasing parts of the pay package over three years, argues doctors need pay restoration of about 26%, and warns recent inflation risks would lock in further real‑terms cuts.
- Hospital leaders expect thousands of appointments to be postponed and have put contingency plans in place, with NHS groups saying previous walkouts cost up to £300 million and warning of another major hit at the start of the new financial year.
- The walkout will be the 15th round of action since 2023, with ministers calling their package a landmark reform that includes exam‑fee refunds and up to 4,500 extra training posts, while outlets differ on emphasis, with some highlighting recent percentage pay gains and others focusing on long‑term pay erosion.