Doctors strike: Planned six-day strike over jobs and pay begins - patients urged to come forward as normal

Resident doctors have gone on strike. The medics walked out at 7am today (April 7), starting a planned six-day strike over jobs and pay.

Tens of thousands of resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, have joined the industrial action, with NHS officials saying the strike will be “difficult” - but urged patients to come forward as normal.

Health leaders said the walkout will be “challenging due to the shorter notice period” and because of the action taking place during the Easter holiday, when many NHS staff will have booked time off with their families.

NHS England said that it will keep as much pre-planned care running as possible, and patients are urged to attend appointments unless they have been contacted, with urgent and emergency care running as normal.

The strike comes after a 4.9% pay increase from 2026 to 2027 from the Government was rejected by the British Medical Association’s (BMA) resident doctors committee. According to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, the offer would have left resident doctors 35.2% better off than four years ago.

The proposal also included an offer of 1,000 extra training places, although that was taken off the table last Thursday, with the Department of Health and Social Care saying it was no longer “financially or operationally” possible as the NHS prepares to deal with the fallout from industrial action. Health commentators have said that strikes can cost up to £300 million each time.

“We know this round of industrial action will be difficult, coming straight after the Easter weekend, but patients should come forward as normal and attend any appointments unless they are contacted otherwise,” NHS England’s Professor Ramani Moonesinghe said on Monday.

Mr Streeting said that the strike was “disappointing”, adding: “My attention and that of leaders across the NHS is now on protecting patients and staff by minimising disruption to the health service.”

Writing in the Daily Express, he said he would “not allow this needless strike action to undermine our country’s greatest institution”.

“Strikes will mean some cancelled appointments, but… the Government is working with NHS teams across the country to minimise disruption and ensure people can access the care they need,” he added.

Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors committee, said the Government “quietly watered down” the deal on offer to resident doctors. He added: “Resident doctors are as keen as he is to bring an end to the strikes, but his Government needs to put an offer on the table that we can accept and which doesn’t change at the last minute.”

The latest strike is the 15th walkout by resident doctors in England since 2023.

Elsewhere, hundreds of BMA staff are also on strike in an ongoing row over pay, with a 48-hour walkout starting on Monday. And last week it emerged that senior medics will also be balloted on industrial action after ministers announced a 3.5% pay award. Simultaneous ballots of consultants and specialist, associate specialist and specialty (SAS) doctors will run from May 11 until July 6.