Overview
- Resident doctors will walk out from 7am on Monday, June 15 until 7am on Friday, June 19, and NHS trusts have activated contingency plans to keep urgent and emergency services running.
- Hospitals warn some non-urgent outpatient appointments and elective procedures such as hip replacements, cataract operations and routine scans may be rescheduled or cancelled to prioritise the sickest patients.
- NHS England is urging people to attend scheduled appointments unless directly contacted, to use NHS 111 online, pharmacies and GP practices for non-life‑threatening needs, and to order repeat prescriptions early.
- Officials say the strike coincides with a forecast heatwave and England’s World Cup opener, creating a higher risk of spikes in demand that could lengthen waits and strain emergency departments.
- The action is the 16th round since 2023 in a dispute over pay and access to specialty training, and the British Medical Association has warned it may announce further strikes in July if negotiations do not progress.