Getty ImagesResident doctors in England will go on strike from 14 to 19 November, the 13th strike since March 2023.
Doctors' union, the British Medical Association, is in a long-running dispute with the government over pay for medics, formerly called junior doctors.
The government says resident doctors have received a nearly 30% pay rise over the past three years, but the union says the increase is not enough.
Who are resident doctors?
Resident doctors make up around half of all doctors in England. As a patient, you can contact a resident doctor at any NHS location, including emergency departments and GP surgeries.
Resident doctors are qualified doctors with medical training.
Many then go on to specialize in a particular area of medicine and surgery or train to become general practitioners.
They used to be called junior doctors, but in September 2024 the government agreed to change the title of its position to better reflect your experience.
Full training can take a long time, so while some resident physicians may have only recently graduated from medical school, others may have more than a decade of practical experience and be responsible for most aspects of medical care.
How much do resident doctors earn?
During the first year of training after completing a medical degree, resident doctors in England receive a basic salary of £38,831. In the second year of study this amount rises to £44,439.
Medical professionals are often expected to work night shifts, weekends, and longer hours, for which they receive additional pay.
After eight or more years as a resident doctor, the salary can rise to around £73,000.
In 2023-24, they received a 22% pay rise over two years. Since August 2025 they have been issued additional 5.4%.
What are the salary requirements for resident physicians?
The BMA has announced a series of strikes in England over pay and working conditions from 2023.
It claims that resident doctors' salaries are 20% lower in real terms than in 2008, even after increases in August 2025.
The government uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to calculate public sector wage increases.
However, the BMA says many resident doctors have large student loans and that interest is calculated using a different measure of inflation called RPI, which is higher.
Using CPI indicatorthe government says current pay for resident doctors is fair.
But analysis from thinktank Nuffield Trust shows that wages have fallen 5% since 2008 using the CPI, compared with almost 20% using the CPI.
What have the government and BMA said about the dispute?
Health Minister Wes Streeting says resident doctors have received the biggest pay rise of any public sector employee in the last three years and insists the government will not offer any further increases.
In October, the union rejected a new proposal to cover fees for mandatory exams and increase the number of training specialist positions by an additional 2,000 places.
These are positions that many doctors apply for within two years of qualifying.
In 2025, there were more than 30,000 applicants for 10,000 jobs, although some were foreign doctors.
The BMA argues that even after the job expansion, many resident doctors will be left unemployed at a crucial stage of their training, and said the issue of pay still needs to be resolved.
The union said it had told the government there would be no strikes for the foreseeable future if doctors were offered a multi-year deal “that restores wages over time” and expressed disappointment at the lack of progress.
What happens if I get sick due to a strike?
The strike in England will last from 07:00 Friday 14 July until 07:00 Wednesday 19 July.
The NHS has urged patients to “seek medical care as usual” during this period.
Anyone experiencing a life-threatening emergency should call 999 and go to A&E if necessary.
For urgent, non-life-threatening problems, it is recommended to use NHS 111 website or call the hotline. GP surgeries will remain open as normal.
Most scheduled hospital visits and procedures should proceed as scheduled. The NHS says anyone whose appointment will be postponed will be contacted in advance.
As with previous strikes, hospitals were told to cancel routine appointments only in exceptional circumstances.
The target set this time is for at least 95% of “planned activities” to occur on strike days.
But NHS bosses admit the ongoing strikes have disrupted care for thousands of patients.
Government analysis shows that 507,000 appointments and surgeries were canceled or rescheduled during the previous wave of strikes from July 2023 to February 2024, which included some consultants.
The latest strike comes as the NHS begins to face additional winter pressures. for example, an increase in the number of cases of influenza.
The latest strike did not affect Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What pay increases have other public sector employees received?
In May 2025 the government announced a salary increase for a range of public sector workers, including:
- 4.5% for UK military personnel and 3.75% for senior military personnel.
- 4% for other doctors, dentists and teachers in England, and prison officers in England and Wales.
- 3.6% for some NHS staff in England, including nurses and midwives.
- 3.25% for government employees
However, because completing a medical degree can take five or six years – longer than most other courses – the BMA says resident doctors' pay should reflect the fact that they may have more student debt than other graduates.
Resident doctors also have little control over where and when they are asked to work, and the need to train in different parts of the country can be costly.
